RIPON, Wis. – Two of the most respected college-ranking publications, The Princeton Review and Washington Monthly, have once again counted Ripon among their 2008 lists for top liberal-arts colleges in the nation.
This year’s Princeton Review rankings chose 366 institutions to profile, representing only about 15 percent of all four-year colleges in the United States and Canada. While the overall list is in no particular order, it includes student survey-based lists of “Top 20” colleges in more than 60 categories. In addition to the “Best Midwestern Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” subsets, Ripon also made five of the national “Top 20” lists. Specifically:
#4 - Town-Gown Relations are Great
This may be the most encouraging measure of all. Concerted efforts are being made to enrich, and ensure the longevity of, community relations. The fact that they're already pretty good -- among the best in the country -- suggests that much of the groundwork is already in place for sustained goodwill. Minnesota's St. Olaf College once again earned the highest ranking.
#4 - Everyone Plays Intramural Sports
Nearly 7 out of 10 Ripon students participate in intramural sports, one of the top five best ratios in the country. A number of other comparably sized schools made the list, such as Whitman College, but Notre Dame was tops.
#6 - Professors Get High Marks
Ripon vaulted up this list in its first appearance. Great minds don't necessarily make great teachers, but at Ripon, we're lucky enough to have both. Wellesley College topped the list.
#13 - Professors Make Themselves Accessible
With a student/faculty ratio of 13:1, it may not come as a surprise that Ripon made this list, but it comes down to attitudes. Even a 1:1 ratio wouldn't matter if individual professors decide to spend their office hours on the golf course, which might be why the University of New Mexico got a big thumbs-down from students. Apparently, government-mandated office hours work wonders; the U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Academy finished #1 and #3, respectively.
#15 - Election? What Election?
This is not so much a measure of political apathy as it is an indication of how popular political/activist groups are on campus. Ripon has long prided itself on its Republican roots, but political activism has never been much of a pastime. It may just be that Ripon students are too busy with intramurals and studies to devote much time to politics, which is hardly a bad thing. The George Washington University tops the list.
Student comments also play a key role in Ripon’s two-page profile, suggesting that the college lives its mission. “Professors get to know you by name as a person, not just as a face in a crowd,” said one student. “As clichéd as it sounds, the community is what makes Ripon worthwhile,” offered another.
The Washington Monthly list is only three years old, but takes a slightly different approach, ranking colleges by how well they “live up to their public-interest mission” using criteria of social mobility, research and service. Ripon ranks No. 1 among liberal-arts colleges in Wisconsin, and No. 77 overall (out of 201).
“Annual college ratings are a mixed bag of methodologies, depth and breadth. A good ranking never hurts, but we’re more interested in what our students share with the various publications,” said David C. Joyce, Ripon College president. “Time and time again, we see that our commitment to a richly personalized education is not just part of our mission; it is a day-to-day reality for Ripon students.”
About The Princeton Review Rankings
The Princeton Review survey asks students 80 questions about their school's academics/ administration, campus life, student body and themselves. Tallies for this edition's rankings are based on surveys of 120,000 students (about 325 per campus) at the 366 schools in the book (not at all schools in the nation) during the 2006-07 and/or previous two school years. Ninety percent were completed online. Ten percent were paper surveys conducted on campuses. The schools in the book are not ranked academically nor are they ranked 1 to 366 in any category.
"Best 366 Colleges" is one of 200 Princeton Review books published by Random House. Eight schools were added to the book this year. In addition to its two-page profiles on the schools and ranking lists, the book has a new section with lists of "Great Colleges for 15 of the Most Popular College Majors." The book was first published in 1992. No school has ever paid a fee to be in it.
The Princeton Review is a New York City-based company known for its test-prep courses, education services, and books. It is not affiliated with Princeton University and not a magazine.
About Ripon College
Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon’s liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. Ripon has consistently been recognized as a “best value” and “Best 366 College” by The Princeton Review, a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s, a “Best Liberal-Arts College” by Washington Monthly, and is listed among the 160 best schools in the nation by Colleges of Distinction. For more information about Ripon College, visit www.ripon.edu.
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