File photo
File photo
Knox College has been named one of the top liberal arts colleges in the United States.
According to a Knox College release, the school ranks No. 40 out of 218 liberal arts colleges nationwide and second overall in Illinois. The college was also named one of the "Best Bang for the Buck" colleges in Washington Monthly's 2020 College Guide and Rankings.
The college's rankings show that the college has contributed "to the public good," pertaining to promoting and supporting social mobility, public service and student research, the college said.
The colleges on Washington Monthly's list were evaluated as to how they serve their student body from recruiting to graduation, in addition to encouraging activism and "producing research and technologies that create high-paying jobs and address threats like climate change."
The magazine looks at three categories in the evaluation: social mobility, research, and community and national service. It gives equal weight to each of the categories. When it comes to community and national service, the magazine looks at alumni serving in the Peace Corps and participating in other community service projects that have institutional support. It also looks at voting engagement and other forms of civic involvement.
In social mobility, the magazine looks at the eight-year graduation rate of each college, how many Pell Grant recipients are at the school, how many first-generation students go to the school, and the affordability of the school.
Pertaining to research, the magazine looks at how many alumni go on to earn doctorates and how much the college spends on research.
Knox ranked 33rd in public service, 50th in social mobility and 85th in research.
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