The fact that Clark is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education is no secret; Clark’s quality speaks for itself. Still, it can be interesting each year to check out further recognition of the University’s strengths in some of the world’s premier college guides and rankings publications.
In The Princeton Review college guidebook, “The Best 373 Colleges: 2011 Edition,” Clark is listed as one of 218 institutions in the “Best in the Northeast” section of its “2011 Best Colleges: Region by Region.” The guidebook also has unique ratings – scores from 60 to 99 – on each college’s profile in eight categories including Financial Aid (Clark, 91), Fire Safety (Clark, 95), and Green (Clark, 85), a rating based on environmental commitments. Clark also is featured in a separate book “The Best Northeastern Colleges: 2011 Edition” that went on sale in August.
Clark landed in the No. 41 spot among the top 50 schools named by U.S. News in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category of its 2011 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” Clark also is included among the Best National Universities, ranked 86th of 262 institutions selected.
The University sits well in the top third of Forbes magazine’s annual “America’s Best Colleges” report, occupying spot No. 161 among the 610 schools recognized this year.
Clark is among the top 50 institutions named as the nation’s Best Values in Private Colleges for 2010-2011 by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, a ranking of the “top schools that exemplify excellent academics while keeping their costs to a minimum.”
Parade’s College A-List feature begins: “No disrespect to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, but you don’t need to attend a fabled Ivy to get a big-league education. Parade asked high school counselors across the U.S. to recommend outstanding schools that often fly under the radar. …” Clark is recognized with six other schools in the Combined Bachelor’s/Graduate Degree category. [PARADE magazine is distributed by more than 510 Sunday newspapers, including the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, and Washington Post. Parade magazine circulation is 32.2 million; readership is 74 million.]
Clark also appears in Peterson’s “Cool Colleges 101.” Clark’s two-page profile notes that its students “are no ordinary students… Whether they are studying climate change in Alaska or setting up a health clinic for women in Ecuador, Clark students leave their mark around the world.” Students attend Clark for “intense, rewarding research and educational opportunities and leave as leaders ready to make global changes.”
“Although the college rankings don’t always capture the real quality of the student experience at any college, we recognize that students and their families use these classifications as a way of sorting their options as they begin the college search,” said Don Honeman, Clark’s Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. “We are pleased that Clark has consistently been rated as one of the leading institutions in several categories. Nevertheless, the best way for a student to evaluate whether a college is a good fit is to spend a few hours on the campus, meet the students, get a sense of campus culture and gain a first-hand view of the academic experience.”
Honeman encourages students to have the Clark Campus Visit Experience to learn why the University is consistently recognized in the rating publications.