In two separate lists, Claremont McKenna College was named one of the nation’s best colleges by Forbes. Annually, CMC is a top ranked institution on various ‘top college lists;’ while every list measures unique aspects of the collegiate experience, the Forbes’ list emphasizes return-on-investment.
Forbes’ methodology scores for student output, with points allotted between five pragmatic categories: student satisfaction, post-graduation success, debt loads, graduation rates, and academic success. Subsequently, in its long-standing mission to integrate research and experiential learning into a liberal arts education, CMC prepares its student body for success after graduation—a key aspect in the Forbes rankings.
The two lists, Top 25 Liberals Arts Colleges and Top Colleges 2017, showcase how CMC compares to liberal arts colleges, including the other Claremont College consortium members, and where it stands amid 650 distinctive schools in higher education. In the former, CMC is ranked as the #2 liberal arts college, a soaring increase from the #13 spot in last year’s ranking. And for the Top Colleges 2017 list, which includes both public and private colleges and universities, CMC ranks #11.
At ten years old, the Forbes Top Colleges list is a relative newcomer to the college rankings platform, but that makes it no less formidable and respected. Rooted in the 100-year-old magazine’s focus on business and investment, the list is ideal for prospective students with a finger on the pulse of the U.S. economy who want to gauge the overall value of their time in college.