U.S. News & World Report ranks Alverno College highest in the state in “strong commitment to teaching” category | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Kelly Fay
September 12, 2017
(Photo courtesy of Alverno College)
Alverno College is ranked in the top four Midwest Regional Universities for its “strong commitment to teaching” in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 America’s Best Colleges guidebook. In the eight-year history of this category, Alverno is the only Wisconsin college to receive this recognition in the Midwest Regional standings each year. College presidents, provosts and admissions deans were asked to “identify schools where the faculty have an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.” This marks the 17th consecutive year U.S. News & World Report has recognized Alverno in its annual rankings.
“Alverno’s commitment to students is the foundation upon which our abilities-based curriculum and assessment-as-learning teaching model are built,” said Andrea Lee, IHM, president of Alverno College. “Our focus is on student success, and this recognition from U.S. News & World Report highlights that dedication. We will continue to ensure that we prepare students to make a difference in all their spheres of influence.”
Alverno is also recognized for its “Senior Capstone” experiences. These culminating activities require students nearing graduation to create a project that integrates and synthesizes what they’ve learned. This could be a thesis, a performance or an exhibit of artwork. Regardless of their major, Alverno students articulate what they learned, what it means to them, how their learning is a part of them, and how it drives their future goals and actions.
Additionally, Alverno College is recognized for “Ethnic Diversity.” Schools nominated in this category are recognized as colleges where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from a different ethnic group than their own. As of the 2016-17 school year, Alverno’s ethnic make-up was 18% Hispanic or Latino, 14% African American, 5% Asian, 1% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 4% were of two or more races, making it one of the most diverse campuses in Wisconsin.
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With these rankings, Alverno College is in the company of such prestigious schools as Brown University, Harvard University, Princeton University and Stanford University. Overall, Alverno College remained in tier one in the category of master’s-granting colleges and universities.
This is the 33rd edition of the U.S. News & World Report annual college rankings. The rankings are published in the September issue, in a separate college guidebook, and posted online at usnews.com. The rankings measure up to 15 academic performance indicators for each institution. Quantitative data that assess a college’s performance in areas such as graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, financial resources, student selectivity and alumni giving account for the college’s score. Colleges and universities in each category are then ranked against their peers based on their composite weighted scores.
About Alverno College
Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology and business are open to women and men.
A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The College has consulted with three U.S. presidential administrations on accountability and outcomes in higher education and for the past eight years has been ranked one of the top five schools in the Midwest doing “the best job of educating undergrads” by U.S. News & World Report.
Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.