U.S. News Rankings Release: Pitzer in Top 50 of Nation's Liberal Arts Colleges and Named Third Most Up-and-Coming School

Claremont, Calif. (August 22, 2008)—For the second year in a row Pitzer College has been ranked among the nation's top fifty liberal arts colleges in U.S.News & World Report's 2009 edition of America's Best Colleges. Pitzer's overall ranking of forty-ninth reflects continued strong placements in all categories, particularly among academic quality reputation, selectivity and endowment.

In addition, out of 265 institutions, Pitzer has been recognized as the third best liberal arts college in the new “Up-and-Coming Schools” category. Pitzer is the only West Coast college among the category's top ten to earn this distinction. Debuting this year, the “Up-and-Coming Schools” category identifies Pitzer as one of seventy colleges/universities that have recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus life, diversity, and facilities. The selections—including national universities, liberal arts colleges, universities-master's, and baccalaureate colleges— were determined by top college officials, including college presidents, provosts, and admission deans, who were asked to nominate up to ten colleges as part of U.S. News' annual peer assessment survey.

For the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News published its “Programs to Look For” list, which identifies outstanding examples of academic programs commonly linked to student success. This year, for the first time, Pitzer's Study Abroad program has been recognized as a leader in providing immersion programs that involve substantial academic work for credit and considerable interaction with the local culture. In 2008-09 academic year, 72 percent of the Class of 2009 will have studied abroad compared to a national average of 8 percent. Pitzer students have also been awarded the highest number of Fulbright Fellowships per capita among all colleges nationally for six consecutive years for a total of sixty-four awardees.

Other key U.S. News rankings for Pitzer include:

  • #8 most ethnically diverse private coed liberal arts college in the U.S.
  • #10 most selective private coed liberal arts college in the U.S.
  • #14 in financial aid assistance for liberal arts colleges in the U.S.
  • #25 according to high school counselor rankings of the nation’s Top 100 liberal arts colleges
  • #33 in the nation’s Top 100 liberal arts colleges for sending students abroad.

About Pitzer College

Pitzer College is a nationally top ranked undergraduate liberal arts institution. A member of The Claremont Colleges, Pitzer offers a distinctive approach to a liberal arts education by linking intellectual inquiry with interdisciplinary studies, cultural immersion, social responsibility and community involvement. For more information, please visit www.pitzer.edu.

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