Knox College Ranked by US News & World Report

Knox College is again ranked among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine's 2011 rankings were released August 17.

Knox is ranked 75th among the nation's top 266 liberal arts colleges. The ranking is based on strengths in several areas, including a 90% retention rate for first year students, 92% percent of faculty who are full time, and a 39% alumni giving rate in 2009, the year used for most of the statistical data.

New this year for Knox is a ranking of 47th in academic reputation, according to high school guidance counselors.

"High school counselors often have a considerable amount of firsthand knowledge about colleges and universities in their regions, and the experience and expertise needed to assess academic quality and give prospective students smart direction," U.S. News wrote.

"Attracting top students is consistent with Knox's ranking among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges," said Paul Steenis, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission. "Applicants to Knox continue to be unusually motivated, intellectually curious and high achieving, and they want the kind of quality education Knox offers."

Steenis encouraged students to use the data gathered by organizations like U.S. News to help establish their own ranking system.

"Regardless of how one feels about rankings, U.S. News has done a wonderful service for families in collecting all this data on colleges," Steenis said. "By combining this information with advice from counselors, guidebooks and your own experiences from campus visits, you can determine which colleges are best for achieving your dreams. Only you can determine which criteria are most important to you," Steenis added.

U.S. News released its rankings on August 17 on its website, www.usnews.com; August 24 in the 2011 Best Colleges guidebook; and August 31 in the September edition of the printed magazine

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 45 states and 48 countries. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.