Assumption Recognized in New The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings
Assumption has been recognized near the top third of colleges and universities in the nation – and near the top third of colleges in the Northeast region – by The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Ranking for 2017. This ranking, which is in its inaugural year, is a pioneering ranking of colleges and universities in the United States that puts student success and learning at its heart.
“This recognition by The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education demonstrates the unique value of an Assumption education,” said Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D., president of Assumption. “Education, if it is to have true value, must be more than the accumulation of facts and data or the acquisition of a set of skills. It instead touches our minds, hearts, and souls, thereby transforming the very depths of our being. This transformation is possible because our education is rooted in the liberal arts.”
According to The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, when ranking colleges and universities, it utilizes 15 performance indicators to analyze questions that matter the most for students when choosing a college such as: resources for students and academic reputation; whether students will be engaged and challenged by professors and peers; the makeup of the campus community and environment (including diversity and student to faculty ratio); and students’ ability to graduate and obtain employment.
“Our aim is to assess each university’s success in achieving their educational mission, rather than focusing on a narrow set of inputs,” said Phil Baty, The Wall Street Journal/ Times Higher Education Rankings editor. “Following a year of conversation with American higher education stakeholders, we shared The Wall Street Journal’s vision for a different type of U.S. ranking system – one that does not fall into the trap of simply measuring university selectivity and wealth, but puts at its heart a university’s ability to deliver valuable outcomes and education for its students.”
The Assumption curriculum enables students to gain a depth and breadth of knowledge that leads to professional success and personal fulfillment. Students—whether studying on the Worcester, Massachusetts or Rome, Italy campus—become engaged participants in Assumption’s classic liberal arts education and professional programs, exploring new ideas, making connections across disciplines, and pushing themselves to achieve more than they ever thought possible. To prepare for the workforce, students learn cutting-edge theory and best practices, and develop excellent communication and critical-analysis skills – quintessential skills of a liberal arts education – through classroom work, internships, and involvement in community service and extracurricular activities.
Earlier this fall, Assumption advanced an impressive nine spots on U.S. News & World Report‘s “Best Regional Universities” list, part of the annual 2017 Best Colleges guide; was named by The Princeton Review as one of the “Best 381 Colleges” in the nation as well as in the Northeast region; and earned the titles of 2016-17 College of Distinction and Catholic College of Distinction.