September 14, 2020

Government and politics publication Washington Monthly ranks Susquehanna University among the nation’s best liberal arts colleges for social mobility and value, in what the magazine calls “a different kind of college ranking.”

The guide places Susquehanna at No. 35 for social mobility among 218 liberal arts universities nationwide. The university ranks No.52 overall among national liberal arts universities.

Additionally, the publication’s 2020 Best Bang for the Buck ranking places Susquehanna within the top 19% of colleges in the Northeast — at No. 76 of 397 colleges. The Best Bang for the Buck ranking recognizes colleges that are doing the best job of helping lower- and middle-income students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. The ranking includes other universities in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Washington Monthly’s College Guide and Rankings “measure what colleges do for their country” based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories:

  • Social mobility, which includes recruiting and graduating low-income students.
  • Service, which measures the way students are encouraged to give something back to their communities and country. Susquehanna ranks No. 85 among national liberal arts universities.
  • Research, which measures the production of cutting-edge scholarship and preparing the next generation of scientists and doctors/doctorate holders. Susquehanna ranks No. 134 among national liberal arts universities.

A detailed methodology can be found here.

Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine that focuses on U.S. politics and government and is based in Washington, D.C.

Susquehanna has been recognized for the social mobility of its students in the past. A 2019 report from Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce ranked Susquehanna among the Top 10% of universities in the U.S. for career-long earnings.