Mercyhurst ranks among ‘Best Value Schools’ and ‘Best Schools for Veterans’
In the 2023 rankings of Best Colleges released today by U.S. News & World Report, Mercyhurst University continues to take its place among the top tier of “Regional Universities in the North” while maintaining its niche ranking among “Best Value Schools” and “Best Schools for Veterans.”
New this year is a ranking called “Top Performers on Social Mobility” in which Mercyhurst also is included. This category measures the extent to which schools enroll and graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants.
Here is the accounting from U.S. News & World Report:
- #70 Regional Universities North
- #26 Best Colleges for Veterans
- #29 Best Value Schools
- #158 Top Performers on Social Mobility
U.S. News considers a variety of metrics when ranking schools for academic excellence, placing the largest emphasis on a college’s ability to retain and graduate its students. Other factors include class size, undergraduate academic reputation, and how much a school spends per student on instruction and other related educational expenses.
According to U.S. News, “Best Value Schools” are calculated by considering the school’s academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. “The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal,” according to the methodology. “Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.”
Schools ranked among the “Best Colleges for Veterans” must achieve the following criteria, according to U.S. News: Be certified for the GI Bill, participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, enroll a minimum of 20 veterans and active service members, and be in the top half of its U.S. News ranking category.
Not only does Mercyhurst meet that criteria but it has also earned the highly selective designation as a “Purple Heart University” for its services and programming for veterans and their families.