Elms College leaps to 17th spot in U.S. News ‘Best College’ list
Date: 9/13/2013
By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comCHICOPEE – Elms College has made a large leap up the list of the Best Regional Colleges, North, by U.S. News and World Report in its 2014 edition of “Best Colleges.”
Elms had been ranked 23rd in the 2013 edition and now is at the 17th spot.
Nancy Farrell, the college’s director of the Institutional Marketing, told
Reminder Publications, “The real significance is we’re in the top 20.”
She added the new ranking “really speaks to the a number of strengths.”
According to the report, a regional college is defined as a school that has an undergraduate focus with a broad range of programming in liberal arts and in the fields such as business, nursing and education. Some of the criteria used the ranking include academic peer assessments, student retention rates, faculty assessment, financial resources, graduation rate and the academic achievement of students entering the college.
Farrell said the ranking indicates a “strong return of investment” for students considering attending Elms. She added that students today are looking for value in their education.
While the ranking may not be the sole determination for entering Elms, Farrell said, “It’s a factor in the entire recruitment process.”
Elms Vice President of Academic Affairs Walter Breau, Ph.D., said, “Elms College’s ranking in the top 20 for best regional colleges this year is an indicator of the quality of our academic and co-curricular programs. It is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the faculty and staff who foster an environment of excellence and support.”
Elms College is a co-educational, Catholic college offering a liberal arts curriculum that gives students multiple perspectives on life. Founded in 1928 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Elms College has a tradition of educating reflective, principled, and creative learners, who are rooted in faith, educated in mind, compassionate in heart, responsive to civic and social obligations and capable of adjusting to change without compromising principle.
