Gustavus Adolphus College

Gustavus Adolphus College is once again ranked among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the nation in U.S. News and World Report’s annual college rankings. Released to the public Friday, Aug. 22 on USNews.com, the rankings are scheduled to be published in a September issue of the magazine and in the annual America’s Best Colleges guidebook, both of which will be available at newsstands and book stores on Aug. 25.

Gustavus was ranked 88th out of 248 colleges and universities that were included on U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Liberal Arts College’s” list. Gustavus is one of six Minnesota colleges in the top 100 national liberal arts colleges for overall quality.

“We are pleased that Gustavus Adolphus College is ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation,” said Gustavus President Jack R. Ohle. “We strive to sustain and build an undergraduate program of recognized academic excellence and we seek to prepare our students for lives of leadership and service.”

Gustavus has an 89 percent retention rate (first-year students who return for their sophomore year) and an 80 percent four-year graduation rate. Other areas that the magazine uses to compare schools include class size and student-to-faculty ratio. Gustavus has an average class size of 15 and a 12:1 student-faculty ratio.

America’s Best Colleges is reportedly the top-selling college guidebook. This ranking groups schools into categories based on a national educational classification that includes national liberal arts colleges, national doctoral universities, regional master’s degree-granting universities, and comprehensive regional colleges.

Recently, Gustavus has also been ranked one of America’s Best Colleges by Forbes.com and a best college and a college with the best food by the Princeton Review—both of these rankings are based on student feedback.