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WELLESLEY, Mass. -- For the sixth consecutive year, U.S.
News & World Report has ranked Wellesley College fourth
among national liberal-arts colleges. For the past dozen
years, Wellesley has placed among the top five colleges
in the annual listing.
"We are pleased that Wellesley College again has received
national recognition for the high caliber of its liberal-arts
education," said Andrea Levitt, associate dean of the college.
"We believe that Wellesley's strengths as an institution
in terms of students, faculty, staff and alumnae support
are outstanding."
This year Wellesley follows Williams, Amherst and Swarthmore
(ranked 1-3) and shares fourth place with Carleton and Pomona
colleges. Wellesley received kudos for its campus diversity,
ranking fifth among liberal-arts colleges in that category.
In another nod, a photograph and caption singled out Wellesley's
outstanding undergraduate research and creative projects,
joining institutions including Harvard, Yale and other top
private and public universities and colleges in an alphabetical
listing.
In the category of "Highest Graduation Rate," Wellesley
was ranked No. 8, with 91 percent. Under "Most Students
Studying Abroad," Wellesley made the list with 58 percent.
Wellesley also ranked ninth on the "Best Values: Liberal
Arts Colleges Bachelors" list, which compares the actual
cost of attending a college after factoring in need-based
grants. Wellesley had an average discount of total cost
of 52 percent. Wellesley also made the list of colleges
and universities whose graduates carry the least amount
of debt.
The 2004 issue also includes a lengthy feature on Wellesley
with a number of student interviews. U.S. News writer
Samantha Levine notes that Wellesley's "idealism can be
a powerful influence on young women still learning about
themselves and their role in the world. 'I believe more
in myself and what I can do,' says (Deborah) Richman ('06),
sitting in the window seat of her neo-Gothic dorm room and
peering out over Lake Waban. 'I think that's kind of the
point of being here.'"
Other outstanding categories for Wellesley include its
level of alumnae support, which at 54 percent earned the
College the No. 8 "giving rank" in the nation. Another standout
category is average freshman retention rate, for which Wellesley
boasts a 96 percentage.
The latest edition of U.S. News' "America's Best
Colleges" was published in the weekly magazine dated Sept.
1 and in an annual guidebook. The information is also available
on the web at www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php
Wellesley College has been a leader in liberal arts and
the education of women for more than 125 years. The College's
500-acre campus near Boston is home to 2,300 undergraduate
students.
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