Money magazine recently named Westminster College as one of the best colleges in America and one of Missouri's Best Colleges.
Only 727 of America's 2,474 public and private colleges and universities made the cut.
Colleges were evaluated on quality of education, affordability and outcomes. The magazine analyzed graduation rates, tuition charges, family borrowing, alumni earnings, and 22 other factors to arrive at its conclusions.
"College is now the second-largest financial expenditure for many families, exceeded only by the purchase of a home," states Money. "So it isn't surprising that parents and students are taking a hard look at the costs and payoffs of any college they consider."
Several Westminster strengths recognized in the study included:
A 64 percent graduation rate as compared with a national four-year college rate of 54.9 percent,
An average degree completion length of 4.2 years as compared with a 5.1 year national average for four-year colleges,
A $47,200 average salary for graduates within three years, placing Westminster in the top 15 percent of four-year colleges and universities nationwide for graduate earning potential, and
A 46 percent rate for low-income students becoming upper middle-class citizens (graduates who reach the top 20 percent of income distribution and come from parents in the bottom 20 percent) as contrasted with a national mobility rate of 19.6 percent, placing Westminster in the top 10 percent of all colleges.
The magazine drew from the research and advice of dozens of the nation's top experts on education quality, financing, and value to develop a uniquely practical analysis of the best-performing colleges.