U.S. News & World Report has again ranked New College of Florida the No. 5 public liberal arts college in the nation. The rankings, part of the “Best Colleges 2015” edition, were released today on the magazine’s website.
The ranking marks the 10th consecutive year New College has been listed in the top six public liberal arts colleges nationwide. New College trails only four military service academies in the category.
U.S. News & World Report also named New College to its “Least Debt” list. New College is one of just 26 national liberal arts colleges noted for low costs and strong financial aid, which allows students to graduate with little to no student loans to repay.
“New College provides brilliant students with an exceptional education at an affordable price, and helps them become leaders in science, business, government and the world,” said New College President Donal B. O’Shea. “We’re pleased that U.S. News & World Report continues to recognize the quality and value that New College delivers.”
U.S. News and World Report’s statistics pointed to several reasons for New College’s strong showing.
- Top-performing students. Four out of 10 freshmen (41%) were in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class.
- Small classes. More than three-quarters of its classes (77%) have 20 or fewer students; just 1 percent have 50 or more students.
- Affordability. Six out 10 (61%) of New College students graduate with no debt at all, the seventh-best rating in the country, and the average debt to repay after four years is only $17,927.
The magazine also ranked New College 87th overall among the 236 national liberal arts colleges, of which most are private institutions. The College moved up two places from last year in the overall rankings.
The rankings arrive at an exciting time for New College. Last month, the College welcomed the largest incoming class in its history, including five women from the Middle East, attending on full scholarships through a partnership with the Daughters For Life Foundation. New College just opened its Center for Engagement and Opportunity, an expanded and integrated career and internship office. The College is preparing for expansions of its Natural Sciences complex and its arts program. And members of the College’s first graduating class will return this fall for their 50-year reunion.