U.S. News includes BSC in national collegiate ranking

For Immediate Release
Sep. 10, 2019

Birmingham-Southern College is included on the list of top National Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News & World Report in “Best Colleges” for 2020. The rankings were released Sept. 9.

“BSC is proud that U.S. News & World Report has once again included us in its ranking of the best colleges in the country,” said BSC President Daniel B. Coleman. “BSC’s location in a city on the move benefits our students through rich opportunities outside the classroom. Having a nationally ranked liberal arts college is critical to the city’s long-term success, not only because BSC provides a steady pipeline of talent to the community’s businesses and professions, but also because of the leadership impact those graduates have over their lifetime of work and service.”

The guide lists BSC at #140 on the list – tied with four other colleges. U.S. News & World Report includes 223 institutions in its prestigious “national liberal arts college” rankings. There are about 500 liberal arts colleges in the United States.

U.S. News & World Report, considered the “gold standard” of higher educations rankings, examined 1,400 colleges and universities. Its methodology, which usually changes annually, includes a variety of metrics, including student retention and graduation rates, faculty resources, and social mobility.

BSC was ranked #213 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. The social mobility ranking is computed from the two ranking factors assessing graduation rates of Pell-awarded students. The vast majority of Pell grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are less than $50,000.

For the 2020 rankings, graduation rates for first-generation college students were factored into the ranking's overall methodology for the first time. Expanding access to a liberal arts education for a wider range of students is a top priority for BSC – the College added a first-year student success coordinator to the staff in 2018. Other ongoing efforts to improve student success, especially for first-generation and at-risk students, include the Southern Exposure program, a special orientation session for incoming students who are the first in their families to attend college.

U.S. News creates nearly 50 different types of numerical rankings and lists to guide students in their college search. U.S. News also ranks colleges and universities in other areas, such as Most Innovative Schools, Best Colleges for Veterans, and Top Public Schools.

Recently, BSC was named a “hidden gem” in the Southeast for 2020 by the college matching platform College Raptor Inc. and featured in Money Magazine’s Best Colleges for Your Money 2019. BSC also is featured in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Best College Values list, ranking #81 among liberal arts colleges. BSC is #119 in Niche rankings for Liberal Arts Colleges in America.

Media contact: Amy Bickers, Director of Communications, (205) 226-4919 or [email protected]

About Birmingham-Southern College

Birmingham-Southern College is a selective residential liberal arts college enrolling approximately 1,300 undergraduate students. BSC is included in Pope’s Colleges that Change Lives and is a sheltering institution for Phi Beta Kappa. The college’s curriculum is based on close faculty-student interaction in teaching, advising, and research. For more on the college’s faculty, students, educational mission, and national reputation visit www.bsc.edu.