I'm pleased to share that Virginia Wesleyan University has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report in two categories of its 2018 Best Colleges
rankings, released Tuesday. We are ranked 20th in “Ethnic Diversity”
among National Liberal Arts Colleges, and we are also featured among 229
“Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.”
To identify colleges where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from different ethnic groups from their own, U.S. News
factored in the proportion of minority students—omitting international
students—and the overall mix of groups in each institution’s 2016-17
academic year student body. The largest ethnic group at Virginia
Wesleyan is African-American, representing 26 percent of the
University’s student population.
We are proud to hold this
designation, as it represents the diverse, global community in which our
University is located. We are a welcoming, inclusive campus with an
outstanding, nationally prominent academic reputation—and we take pride
in fostering the kinds of values and traditions that make our students
proud to have chosen us for their career and life success.
Virginia Wesleyan is also classified among U.S. News' 229 “Best National Liberal
Arts Colleges.” Methodology for these rankings focuses on academic
excellence, with schools evaluated on hundreds of data points and up to
15 measures of academic quality. Overall, the rankings emphasize student
outcomes, such as graduation and freshman retention rates. The top
National Liberal Arts Colleges have significantly higher graduation and
freshman retention rates than other schools.
U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges
rankings help prospective students and their families research more
than 1,800 U.S.-based universities. It is an honor to be included in
these rankings among America's best and most well-rounded institutions. I
hope you take as much pride as I do in this recognition.
Congratulations!
