Lafayette Ranked 14th in Forbes Liberal Arts College Rankings – The Lafayette

Lafayette College is ranked 14th on Forbes 2024-25 list of the world’s best universities. The Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the United Statesaccording to the ranking published in late August. The university also ranked 60th among universities in the country, up from 77th last year.

“The university is always pleased to be recognized for our excellent programs, faculty, staff and students,” said Forrest Stuart, vice president of Registration Management, he wrote in an email.

“We don’t make decisions based on rankings. We focus on student learning and growth,” he continued.

Forbes calculates its rankings using a mathematical formula that gathers information from two federal education databases, several data companies and Forbes’ own lists, according to the magazine’s website.

The universities on the list are ranked based on a variety of factors: alumni salary, student debt, graduation rate, Forbes American Leaders list, return on investment, retention rate, andand academic success.

Simon Tonev, director of institutional research, wrote in an email that students should not base your opinion on Lafayette in subjective ratings.

““Forbes focuses more on graduate outcomes than, for example, the variety of specialties available,” Tonev wrote.While both may be important, if one were more interested in the latter, the Forbes ranking would not necessarily provide the most relevant analysis.”

Tonev also wrote that the American Leaders List, which aims to “assess the leadership and business success of college graduates,” according to the Forbes website, is also flawed. The list tracks the alma maters of members of lists like “Forbes 30 under 30.”

“Ranking publications attempt to distinguish themselves from others by creating metrics that are unique (e.g., Forbes’ “American Leaders List”) and then applying their weights to each metric as an attempt to operationalize what makes a school “good,” Tonev wrote.

“So whether a rating is useful to prospective students, parents, etc. really depends on how closely their conception of ‘good’ matches the rating publication,” he continued.

According to Stuart, prospective college students and their families consult rankings as part of the college selection process.

However, according to Stuart, this may “If the focus is removed from what makes that school distinctive, students may run the risk of ultimately “chasing a moving target.”

Tonev believes Lafayette’s rise in the rankings is due to its success in three areas.

“Lafayette is fortunate that many of our graduates are able to pursue rewarding and lucrative careers,” he wrote. “Add to this our generous financial aid, and Lafayette likely holds a particularly strong position in the Forbes rankings for alumni salary, return on investment, and debt.”

Some students praised Lafayette’s Forbes ranking.

“It’s very exciting to hear that Forbes thinks we’re one of the top 15 liberal arts colleges,” said Iyunade Franklin-Ayeni ’28. “That makes me think that the money that’s being spent will be worth it, I hope.”

Fiona O’Connor ’27 feels rankings are important for Lafayette to gain recognition outside of the East Coast.

“I don’t think anyone knew where I was going when I told people I was going to Lafayette, but maybe that will change if people listen to the lines,” said O’Connor, who comes from the Midwest.

Rachel Tielking ’27 had a more neutral reaction.

“I don’t think it really affects my opinion of the school because I feel like a lot of those rankings are based on things that don’t really matter,” Tielking said. “I don’t think people should decide what school to choose based on how high it is on a list. I think they should decide based on how much they like it.”

This year, the university was also recognized as one of the top 20 colleges for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), according to Washington Monthly. Last year, U.S. News World Report ranked Lafayette as the 30th best liberal college in the country. This year’s U.S. News World Report rankings will be released on Sept. 24, according to its website.