VMI Still Among Top Public Liberal Arts Colleges

Virginia Military Institute retained its U.S. News and World Report ranking in the top tier of all liberal arts colleges in America. -- VMI File Photo by Kevin Remington.

LEXINGTON, Va., Sept. 13, 2011 – Virginia Military Institute retained its ranking just behind the service academies in the latest U.S. News and World Report ranking of national public liberal arts colleges and in the top tier of all liberal arts colleges, private as well as public, in America.

VMI was ranked fourth in the list of public liberal arts colleges, as the U.S. Air Force Academy took the third ranking, held by VMI for the past five years. VMI had been ranked third behind the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy since 2007, when the federal service academies were first added to that category; previous to that, VMI held the No. 1 position for six years running.

Among all public and private liberal arts colleges, VMI was ranked No. 71, down from the No. 62 spot it had held for the prior two years.

“VMI remains solidly in the top tier of national liberal arts colleges,” said Brig. Gen. R. Wane Schneiter, deputy superintendent and dean of the faculty. “Our approach, which offers a relatively small number of excellent majors, a rigorous core curriculum, and complementary academic enrichment programs like honors and undergraduate research, allows our faculty and staff to ensure our cadets an outstanding education.”

The rankings are based on such factors as a college’s reputation as rated by academic leaders nationally; the retention of students; class size; the quality of the faculty; the quality of students; financial resources; graduation rate performance; and the alumni giving rate.

Among engineering schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s degree, VMI retained its rank as No. 21. The rankings in the engineering category are based exclusively on the reputation of the program.

VMI moved up one notch among national liberal arts colleges on the list of Great Schools, Great Prices, to No. 13. The ranking is based on academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid.

The Institute was also included in the non-ranked list of A-Plus Schools for B Students among national liberal arts colleges. The listing evaluates the quality of the school’s academic program and the academic profile of admitted students.

Last month, Forbes magazine ranked VMI among the top 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally.