Ohio Wesleyan Rises 55 Places In Forbes Ranking Of ‘America’s Top Colleges’
Ohio Wesleyan is included among “America’s Top Colleges,” top private colleges, and top Midwest colleges in Forbes Magazine’s new 2014 rankings. (Photo courtesy of OWU’s Office of University Communications)
DELAWARE, Ohio – Forbes Magazine ranks Ohio Wesleyan University among “America’s Top Colleges,” top private colleges, and top Midwest colleges, according to its newly released 2014 rankings. Ohio Wesleyan also is ranked No. 6 among 31 Ohio schools, placing OWU higher for outcomes than 25 other public and private schools, including The Ohio State University and Miami University.
“Is college worth it? At these outstanding institutions, that’s a no-brainer,” Forbes editors said in releasing the magazine’s seventh annual “America’s Top Colleges” list. The editors also noted the new rankings “focus on one measurement: outcome. From student satisfaction and graduation rates, to career success and student debt, this ranking counts what matters.”
Ohio Wesleyan’s 2014 rankings increased in all three categories in which it is listed, coming in at No. 145 (up from 200) among America’s top colleges overall, No. 113 among the nation’s top private colleges (up from 142), and No. 26 among the top U.S. colleges in the Midwest (up from 34).
The rankings, released July 30, include “650 of the best schools in the nation,” according to Forbes. In announcing the list, magazine editors said: “The FORBES list of 650 schools distinguishes itself from competitors by our belief in ‘output’ over ‘input.’ … Our sights are set directly on ROI: What are students getting out of college?”
For the 2014 rankings, Forbes partnered again with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity. The center used 12 factors in five categories to calculate the rankings: student satisfaction; post-graduate success (including salary data); student debt; graduation rate; and academic success (including, the numbers of students who win prestigious awards such as National Science Foundation fellowships and the numbers who go on to earn doctoral degrees.)
Earlier this month, Ohio Wesleyan also was listed among the “best and most interesting” four-year colleges in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain in The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015. The guidebook also included Ohio Wesleyan on its list of “small colleges and universities strong in business.”
Read more about Forbes Magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges” list at www.forbes.com/top-colleges and more about The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 at www.collegecountdown.com.
Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan, including visit and enrollment information, at www.owu.edu.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private, coed university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors, minors, and concentrations, and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world practice. OWU’s 1,850 students represent 42 states and 37 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.