U.S. News & World Reports has ranked Berry College No. 2 for “best value” and “best undergraduate teaching” among universities in the South.
Berry ranked 4th overall in the South, consisting of 13 states and territories.
The “best value” ranking reflects the college’s successful LifeWorks program and focus on affordability. The Lifeworks program guarantees students up to eight semesters of paid, hands-on professional development experience. To assist with affordability Berry awards more than $56 million in financial aid, with 99% percent of undergraduates receiving financial aid.
The “best undergraduate teaching” focuses on schools where faculty and administrators are recognized for teaching undergraduates effectively. Berry is known for its 12:1 student to faculty ratio allowing students to receive personal attention in and out of the classroom. The institution also focuses on providing a wide network of lifelong mentors and advisors to students.
“It is exciting to see continued external validation of our unique educational mission. Berry partners with every student to craft a one-of-a-kind journey through their four-year college experience. Our faculty and staff mentors challenge, inspire, and support every student as they become the best version of themselves,” said Berry Vice President for Enrollment Management Andrew Bressette.
“When you add the eight semesters of paid professional development through our LifeWorks program on top of the outstanding intellectual exploration in the classroom it’s no wonder our graduates are in demand.”
Nationally among all colleges and universities, Berry was ranked 17th for “service learning” and continues to be among the top 40 universities for “best first-year experience.”
Factors that directly relate to social mobility, graduation and retention rates, graduate indebtedness, graduate earnings compared with earnings of high school graduates, and graduation rate performance, have a total weight of more than 50% in the ranking methodology, far outweighing any other factor in the rankings.
The U.S. News rankings are based on a formula that uses statistical measures of academic quality, such as graduation rates, social mobility, graduate indebtedness, faculty information and admissions data. And 20 percent of the rankings are based on expert opinion, determined by a peer assessment from top academics at U.S. colleges.
