September 14, 2020
NORTH ADAMS, MASS. — For the third consecutive year, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is ranked as a Top Ten College by U.S. News and World Report. MCLA ranks as No. 9 on the organization’s list of top public colleges and also appears on U.S. News’ list of Top National Liberal Arts colleges.
The College is also ranked among the top 50 public and private schools on U.S. News’
“Top Performers on Social Mobility” list, which measures how well schools graduate
students who receive Federal Pell Grants, which are typically awarded to students
whose families make less than $50,000. Only eight other public colleges are ranked
higher than MCLA in this list.
The College has appeared on U.S. News’ list of top public colleges for eight of the
last 10 years. MCLA was also featured on the U.S. News social mobility list for 2020,
the first time the organization ranked colleges on social mobility.
“I am especially proud that MCLA has continued to be ranked among the nation’s top public schools,” said MCLA President James F. Birge, Ph.D. “This year, during a pandemic, in addition to providing a high-quality education, we were able to distribute more than $257,000 to students who found themselves in dire economic circumstances due to COVID-19 through the MCLA Resiliency Fund. MCLA was also awarded a federal TRIO grant, which will provide $1.3 million to enhance our support for under-resourced students for the next five years. These grant activities will enhance MCLA’s commitment to equity for our students by providing support services to help students achieve their academic goals. I am thankful to my colleagues for their ongoing commitment to providing our students an accessible, affordable education that elevates lives.”
“The Commonwealth is lucky to have an institution like MCLA and we are proud of this achievement, and the impact MCLA has on our community,” said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. “As the Commonwealth's public liberal arts college, MCLA has demonstrated enormous commitment to access, equity, and academic excellence. MCLA is a key partner in driving the economy of the Berkshires and sustaining Massachusetts’ national leadership in higher education.”
U.S. News and World Report ranks colleges based on indicators that reflect a school’s student body, its faculty, and its financial resources, along with outcome measures that signal how well the institution achieves its mission of educating students.
For more information, go to usnews.com/colleges.
About MCLA:
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In nearly every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, as leaders, communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 125-year commitment to public education we have fortified our commitment to equitable academic excellence. For eight of the last 10 years, MCLA has been named a Top Ten College by U.S. News and World Report. MCLA also appears on the organization’s list of top National Public Liberal Arts Colleges, as well as on the top 50 schools in U.S. News’ Social Mobility Ranking, which measures how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.
For more information, go to www.mcla.edu.
