Knox College Wins High Marks for Service to Nation

Washington Monthly magazine is again giving high marks to Knox College in "rankings [that] measure what colleges do for their country." Knox is ranked in the top 20 overall, placing 15th this year, in Washington Monthly's annual "service-oriented" rankings.

Washington Monthly rates colleges in three areas: social mobility, which includes graduation rates and affordability; research, which includes funds spent on research and alumni success in graduate school; and each college's commitment to public service. The rankings were released on August 28, and are printed in the September/October issue of the magazine.

Knox received top-five rankings in two key categories: third in the nation for the percentage of federal work study funds spent to support service-oriented work, and fifth in the nation for the percentage of graduates who enter the Peace Corps. Knox was the first college in the nation to create a Peace Corps Preparatory Program, and close to 100% of Knox students who have completed the program have been accepted by the Peace Corps.

According to Washington Monthly, its rankings recognize colleges that "enroll unusually large numbers of low-income and first-generation students... train the next generation of scientists and Ph.D.s, and instill their graduates with an ethos of public service."

This is the sixth year in a row that Knox has ranked in the top 20 nationally in Washington Monthly.

"The factors that Washington Monthly measures—social mobility, including success after college, along with service to our community, nation, and world—have been Knox's guiding principles since the College was founded," said Knox College President Teresa Amott.

"Washington Monthly states that its goal is 'to advance an inclusive vision of higher education greatness,' and that's exactly what Knox is working for—increasing access to a liberal arts education for all qualified students regardless of financial means, and challenging our students to improve themselves and our world," Amott added.

Knox also has won recognition in other rankings that emphasize service and access. These include the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, and a top 20 placement in The New York Times 2017 College Access Index, which evaluates schools that are doing the most to provide both financial aid and the on-campus support that leads to graduation and academic success.

Princeton Review has ranked Knox among the top "Colleges that Pay You Back" through strong career placement and alumni success; as a "Best Midwestern College"; and as one of the nation's "Green Colleges" based on "a quality of life on campus that is both healthy and sustainable."