U.S. News and World Report has released its annual college rankings, and Goucher has moved to No. 105, up five places from No. 110 last year, in the list of national liberal arts colleges.
Additionally, the college has remained at the top of the list for the colleges and universities with the most students studying abroad. The schools on this list had the highest percentage of 2013 graduating seniors who participated in study abroad programs during their undergraduate years.
Goucher also was tied for No. 76 on the list of “High School Counselor Rankings,” in which a nationwide sampling of public high schools cited which national universities and national liberal arts colleges they think offer students the best undergraduate education. They rated the universities on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the top score) or marked “don’t know” if they were unfamiliar with that particular college. Goucher ranked a solid 3.7.
U.S. News also includes a range of other rankings that allow college-bound high school students and their parents to compare a broad range of factors at prospective colleges or universities. Among these lists, Goucher is included as a national liberal arts college that is one of the “A-plus Schools for B Students,” which are institutions that have strong ratings in the 2015 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings but also accept a significant number of students with transcripts that are above average but perhaps not perfect.
Goucher is also listed among the national liberal arts colleges with the highest levels of economic diversity, as measured by the percentage of undergraduates receiving federal Pell Grants for low-income students. Economic diversity has received growing attention in higher education, particularly at more elite schools that haven’t traditionally enrolled large numbers of low-income students or students from low-income families.
Goucher President José A. Bowen was quoted in The Baltimore Sun saying he recognizes the influence these annual rankings have among students and parents. However, he contends the rankings measure where “the kids with the best SAT scores and the best GPAs are going.” He, instead, emphasizes a focus on colleges that are most transformational and that help change the way students think.
President Bowen’s perspective on the U.S. News rankings is in keeping with Goucher’s move to become test optional in 2007 and its recent launch of the Goucher Video Application, which allows students to forgo transcripts, test scores, and other traditional application materials. Instead, applicants can send Goucher a straightforward, two-minute video about how they see themselves flourishing at the college. This alternative process is meant to demystify and de-stress the admissions process and create a more transparent application to provide educational opportunity for all students.
This year’s 30th edition of the U.S. News’ Best Colleges ranking includes data on nearly 1,800 colleges and universities nationwide. Eligible schools are ranked on up to 16 measures of academic excellence, including graduation rates, selectivity and freshmen retention.
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