Washington Monthly Ranks Westminster College 6th Nationally in Social Mobility

Westminster College is ranked sixth among the nation's top 249 liberal arts colleges for "serving as an engine of social mobility," according to the Washington Monthly 2011 College Guide.

Washington Monthly ranks the nation's colleges and universities on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students); Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs); and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country through Peace Corps and ROTC service).

Westminster ranked sixth in the nation in "serving as a social mobility engine" by graduating a higher than expected percentage of Pell Grant recipients. Westminster's 75% graduation rate for its students was 18 percent higher than predicted.

Westminster ranked 47th overall in the nation and trailed only Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, and Haverford among liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania, according to Washington Monthly.

"Westminster takes pride in creating and maintaining an environment that provides an exceptional educational experience for our students," Westminster College President Dr. Richard Dorman said. "Our 18,000 alumni are sterling examples of Westminster's ability to help transform lives."

"Every year the Washington Monthly devotes an entire issue to assessing America's colleges and universities. We do this because we believe they are key to the country's greatness," according to Paul Glastris, Washington Monthly College Guide editor. "They produce the research and human capital that fuel the economy. They teach the habits of mind and spirit that undergird democracy. And they provide the means for upward mobility that is the bedrock justification for the American experiment."

Visit http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2011/liberal_arts_rank.php for more information about the Washington Monthly 2011 College Guide.

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