Skip to Main Content

Service to Country, Community

Washington Monthly Rankings: Community Service, "Best Bang for the Buck," and an "Affordable Elite College"

Washington Monthly magazine cover

Washington Monthly ranks Knox highly for service to country and community; giving students "Best Bang for the Buck" in educational quality.

Knox College has received a top 20 ranking in the latest service-oriented rankings from Washington Monthly magazine -- rankings that evaluate colleges for "encouraging students to give something back to their country."

Knox is ranked 13th in the nation among liberal arts colleges, in rankings published in the September-October issue of Washington Monthly magazine and on the magazine's website.

Other colleges in the top 20 include Bryn Mawr, Carleton, Swarthmore, Williams, Grinnell, Oberlin, and Amherst.

"This national ranking from Washington Monthly demonstrates the depth and breadth of Knox College's historic commitment to service -- on campus, in the community and around the world -- by generations of our students and faculty, staff and alumni," said Knox President Teresa Amott.

"More than 58,000 hours of service are being donated annually by Knox students in the local community, not for a ranking but because students are committed to helping make a difference," Amott said.

Knox was highly ranked in two other categories by Washington Monthly -- "Affordable Elite Colleges," and colleges that give students the "Best Bang for the Buck."

Details of Washington Monthly Rankings

Social Mobility, which includes recruiting and graduating low-income students. Key factors include:

  • 25% of Knox students are eligible for need-based Pell Grants
  • Strong graduation rate, thanks to programs such as McNair Scholars and TRIO Achievement that support students from modest income backgrounds and those whose parents do not have a four-year college degree

Service, based on "encouraging students to give something back to their country," such as placing graduates in the Peace Corps and current students in community service activities. Knox programs that affect the score include:

Research, which covers both scholarship on campus and advanced degrees earned by graduates. Key factors include:

"Best Bang for the Buck"

  • Knox is 14th among more than 200 liberal arts colleges in the 2014 "Best Bang for the Buck" rankings -- a measure of economic value received by students from low and middle-income families.

An "Affordable Elite College"

  • Knox is ranked 75th in the nation among 200 "Affordable Elite Colleges" -- described as "selective schools (that) give high-achieving non-wealthy students a break in price."

More National Rankings:

Published on August 27, 2014