Buckhannon, W.Va. — West Virginia Wesleyan College has been ranked in Best Regional Universities South, Best Value Schools, and Top Performers on Social Mobility in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 edition of “Best Colleges.”
For the ninth consecutive year, Wesleyan had the highest state ranking as a “Best Value” school in regional rankings that includes academic quality and cost of attendance after financial aid.
Since 1983, the annual fall U.S. News’ college report is one of the most influential in the country, with ratings derived from 15 diverse indicators of academic quality that emphasize academic reputation, financial resources, selectivity in admissions, and student outcomes. Evaluators considered 1,922 institutions for the 2020 list.
New this year, the magazine published rankings on how effective colleges are in advancing social mobility, a subcategory that reflects the size of the student population that receives federal Pell Grants and the proportion of those students who graduate. According to U.S. News, most students who receive Pell Grants come from households with family incomes under $50,000 annually.
“We are again honored to be named by U.S. News as a Best College,” said John Waltz, vice president for enrollment management. “West Virginia Wesleyan’s outstanding academic reputation, student-focused experience, and distinctive co-curricular programs in the arts, athletics, and community service have continued to grow our reputation as an educational leader in our region.”
Wesleyan was also featured in this year’s list of Best Southeastern Colleges in The Princeton Review’s “2020 Best Colleges: Region by Region” and has been designated as a one of the best schools in the Southeast for more than 12 consecutive years. In addition, the College has been named to Kiplinger’s 2019 list of “Best College Values” for “delivering students a high-quality education at an affordable price.”
In a recent national survey, West Virginia Wesleyan is among the best institutions in the nation in preparing students for their post-undergraduate careers. Benefiting from outstanding academics in a rich liberal arts traditional, Wesleyan graduates are finding immediate success after graduation. Statistics compiled for the 2018 graduating class indicate that 95% are enrolled in graduate or professional school or have been placed in a job.
Wesleyan offers over 49 undergraduate programs of study along with master’s and doctoral degrees. The College also has more West Virginia PROMISE Scholars than any private school. During the past ten years, fourteen Wesleyan students have been named Fulbright Scholars while four others have won international scholarships through the U.S. Department of State.