Elizabethtown College has been bestowed with several notable distinctions from U.S. News & World Report for this academic year.
For 41 years, the online newsmagazine has published rankings for 1,700 colleges and universities using data from the schools themselves, the U.S. Department of Education, state and local governments and associations of higher education to determine how these schools stand in categories ranging from instruction to performance and specific programs.
These rankings are frequently used by prospective college applicants to gauge their priorities when determining where to enroll. College administrators will also pay attention to rankings to determine where their institutions stand among peers.
According to U.S. News, their education rankings and statistics are viewed by at least 100 million users every year.
This year’s rankings were published on Sept. 23 and put Elizabethtown in high standing among its peer colleges.
Overall, Elizabethtown was placed 45th out of 170 regional colleges ranked in the North region. These rankings do not include colleges ranked nationally.
The North region encompasses Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
The College was tied with Messiah University, Rider University, Salisbury University and the University of St. Joseph. In the state of Pennsylvania, Elizabethtown ranked fourth behind St. Joseph’s University, the University of Scranton and Moravian University.
Elizabethtown was also ranked 27th in best value regional universities in the North and fifth in Pennsylvania behind Messiah University, Marywood University, Seton Hill University and St. Joseph’s University.
U.S. News bases these rankings on the college’s academic quality against the cost of an out-of-state student attending with the average amount of scholarships and student aid. Colleges that scored in the top half of academic categories are the only schools included in this ranking.
Nationally, Etown ranked 46th for its undergraduate engineering program. This category was limited to colleges that do not offer a doctoral degree in engineering and are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET). The rankings were based on peer assessment surveys.
“Instead of focusing on selective admissions, we welcome students from a wide range of backgrounds—many without AP Calculus, legacy support, or curated college prep,” Elizabethtown’s Dean of Engineering and Computer Science Dr. Sara Atwood said in a post on LinkedIn. “We’re building a different kind of engineering program—and we’re honored to be recognized as one of the top 50 in the country.”
The College was tied with 11 other institutions across the country in this category and ranked fourth in Pennsylvania behind Bucknell University, Lafayette College and Swarthmore College.
“Our ranking reflects the strength of our ABET-accredited program and the dedication of our faculty to hands-on, student focused learning,” Etown’s Professor of Engineering and Program Director for ABET-Accredited B.S. Engineering Dr. Brenda Read-Daily said. “We’re proud of the work we do and grateful for the recognition.”
Etown’s highest ranking was in U.S. News’s ranking for undergraduate teaching. This ranking is based on each school’s focus on teaching undergraduate students as determined by a survey of high-level collegiate officials and academics.
The College ranked sixth in the North region, tying with the College of New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, Etown was the top ranked school.
“These rankings are a testament to the distinct value of an Etown education, which prepares students for their careers and for a life of purpose,” President Betty Rider said in a press release. “What sets Etown apart – and what these rankings reflect – is our deeply personalized approach to student success through faculty mentorships and real-world experiences that empower our Blue Jays to grow and thrive in a global world.”
