Duane Bonifer  |  Published September 06, 2017

Rankings rise continues

‘Washington Monthly’ calls Monmouth College one of top ‘Best Bang for the Buck’
MONMOUTH, Ill. – Monmouth College continues its climb in the respected Washington Monthly’s College Guide and Rankings.

The liberal arts college is ranked No. 70 in the magazine’s “National Universities – Liberal Arts” category, up seven spots from its 2016 ranking and an 89-spot jump over the last two years. The magazine ranked 240 liberal arts colleges and universities in its latest issue.

Monmouth was also ranked No. 19 out of 364 colleges in the Midwest as being a school that is the “Best Bang for the Buck.”

“These rankings affirm Monmouth as not only a high-quality college but a college of high opportunity,” said Monmouth Vice President for Enrollment Management and Communications Trent Gilbert. “The rankings are an acknowledgement of the extraordinary things taking place at Monmouth. We are a college that offers students a rich intellectual experience at a value that makes it accessible to all families.”

Since 2005, Washington Monthly has ranked colleges based on how they educate students and how they benefit society. The publication measures a college’s success in three areas – students’ social mobility (admitting and graduating low-income students); community service; and students who engage in research and go on to earn a doctorate. More than one-third of Monmouth’s students are the first in their families to attend college, and about half of the College’s students qualify to receive a federal Pell grant, which is awarded to students from families with greater financial need.

The magazine’s “Best Bang for the Buck” ranking includes an “exclusive list of schools that help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.”

Monmouth College President Dr. Clarence R. Wyatt said that a chief reason Monmouth offers students an outstanding education at an affordable rate is because of the College’s strong donor base.

“Monmouth has a broad base of alumni and friends who generously support this College by providing scholarships and financial aid to our students,” Wyatt said. “Their support enables this college to remain a place of high opportunity that offers a rigorous academic experience that frees our students to see and seize the possibilities in their lives.”

Wyatt said another big reason for Monmouth’s growing national recognition is the College’s faculty and staff.

“Our faculty, supported by our staff, are at the heart of Monmouth’s mission,” he said. “They are the sparks that light the candles of ambition, of possibility, of achievement and service that are our students.”

Monmouth offers students multiple undergraduate research opportunities, including: the innovative Triads in Global Food Security and Global Public Health; the Summer Opportunity for Intellectual Activity (SOFIA); the prestigious endowed Kieft Scholars in chemistry and biochemistry; and the peer-reviewed Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research, which held its first national conference last April.

“Our faculty understand that the residential liberal arts experience is about the growth of the whole person, and they eagerly embrace their role as teachers, mentors and role models,” Wyatt said. “They create an experience that is truly transformative in the lives of young people.”
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Did you know?

  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers unique academic minors in Global Public Health and Global Food Security for students who want to use their education to address global challenges. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-public-health/" target="_blank">Global Public Health</a></li><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-food-security/" target="_blank">Global Food Security</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an educational garden and 6.7 acre farm. Students grow and harvest fruits and vegetables to sell at the local farmer’s market. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/academics/only-at-monmouth/educational-garden-farm/" target="_blank">Garden & Farm</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers several international trips each year during 2-week Scots Terms in January and May. Recently students have traveled to Botswana, Greece, Scotland, Japan, and more. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/offices/global-engagement/" target="_blank">Scots Term</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> We offer a certified Peace Corps Preparation program that gives Peace Corps bound graduates a leg up in the application process.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/peace-corps-prep/" target="_blank">Peace Corps Prep</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p><strong>Monmouth College is the birthplace of the women’s fraternity movement. Pi Beta Phi, the first such collegiate women’s organization, was founded at Monmouth in 1867. It was followed three years later by Kappa Kappa Gamma. The two pioneering organizations today boast a total of 275 active chapters nationwide.</strong></p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/student-life/sororities-fraternities/" target="_blank">Sororities & Fraternities</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an active Pipe & Drum Band. Each year on Scholar’s Day in April the bagpipers wake students up at 6:00 a.m. by playing in the residence halls!</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/music/pipe-band/" target="_blank">Pipe Band</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 99% of Monmouth students received some type of scholarship or financial assistance.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/offices/student-financial-planning/types-of-aid/scholarships/" target="_blank">Scholarships</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College covers the cost for all current students to get a U.S. passport. Unlock access to over 198 different countries! We’ll even help with the paperwork :)</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/study-abroad/" target="_blank">Study Abroad</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 98% of Monmouth graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/wackerle-center/career-services/" target="_blank">Career Preparation</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College is proudly test optional. Applicants may choose whether or to submit SAT or ACT scores for admission and scholarship consideration. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/admission/apply/test-optional/" target="_blank">Test Optional</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> We’re no stranger to winning. Last year the Fighting Scots won Midwest Conference championships in Football, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Track and Field. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthscots.com/" target="_blank">Fighting Scots</a></li></ul></div></aside>