VIENNA - Ohio Valley University has earned top praises from the Washington Monthly that ranked the university among the top 50 baccalaureate colleges nationwide.
Unlike other similar guides, Washington Monthly focuses not just on what colleges can do for students, but what colleges are doing for the country.
The ranking report evaluates whether colleges are educating low-income students, or just catering to the affluent. It dives into how institutions are improving the quality of their teaching and whether they are ensuring students receive the most for their money by keeping tuition rates affordable.
Washington Monthly rates schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories:
* Social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students)
* Research (producing cutting-edge scholarships and doctorates)
* Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).
"Washington Monthly's rankings highlight a number of areas in which OVU not only excels at but exceeds other institution, particularly in the category of service, which accounts for one third of our overall score," said Dr. Harold Shank, OVU president. "In the WM's rankings, there is no regional breakdown, so our No. 41 overall ranking nationwide is really quite impressive."
The report evaluates 1,569 colleges and includes public, private nonprofit and for-profit colleges.
The ranking comes on the heels of the annual U.S. News & World Report ranking, which also gave Ohio Valley University high marks for its smaller classroom size, affordability, and graduation rates.
"What is also stunning is our No. 1 ranking in support for community service. Our good showing in the 'service' category is a direct result of our having applied for recognition on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll this past year," Jim Bullock, OVU vice president for academic affairs, said. "It is from that data that Washington Monthly bases our score in this category."
