Knox Ranked 16th in US by Forbes Magazine

Survey aims to "evaluate colleges on results"

May 27, 2008

A new college ranking published by Forbes magazine to "evaluate colleges on results" places Knox College 16th in the nation among 94 liberal arts colleges. In all, Forbes looked at more than 200 public and private colleges and universities.

The Forbes ranking is based on graduation rates, career success by graduates, and what students think of their professors. The ranking was developed by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP), a research organization in Washington, DC.

"We are pleased that both Knox students and Knox alumni are successful -- students in class and as they work with faculty on research and creative endeavors, and alumni as they flourish in their lives and careers after college," said Paul Steenis, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission.

"Students want satisfaction and results, which is what the CCAP measures," wrote the author of the Forbes ranking report, Richard Vedder, an economist at Ohio University. "Do students like their courses? How successful are they once they graduate? We evaluate colleges on results," Vedder wrote.

The Forbes report is the second national ranking this spring to give Knox high marks. Last month, Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine placed Knox among the "100 Best Values in Private Colleges."

The Forbes ranking was based on each school's graduation rates, the proportion of alumni listed in "Who's Who in America," and the ratings that students gave faculty on the ratemyprofessors.com web site. The Kiplinger's ranking was based on data that included both academic quality and affordability.

A nationally ranked liberal arts college with students from 45 states and 44 countries, Knox also is one of the 40 colleges listed in the book "Colleges That Change Lives," by former New York Times education editor Loren Pope. U.S. News & World Report recognizes Knox as one of the most diverse and international colleges in America. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.