(Photo above: Knox College is a pioneer in providing collaborative and independent research opportunities for students, including senior Marika Takemura, who is assisting chemistry professor Helen Hoyt with research into the "greening" of chemistry.)

Knox College is one of the nation's "Great Schools at Great Prices," according to the newly released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.  Knox is ranked 38th among national liberal arts colleges in the category, which is also referred to as "Best Values" and recognizes schools with top reputations for academic excellence and affordability. Other colleges in the category include Amherst, Williams, Grinnell, Macalester, and Carleton.

"Knox is the only liberal arts college in Illinois in this very selective ranking of colleges," said Paul Steenis, dean of admission and vice president for enrollment. "The 'Great Schools at Great Prices' ranking demonstrates that Knox is among the very best in the nation at making a top-notch liberal arts education accessible for students from all financial backgrounds."

In the overall U.S. News rankings for 2013-2014, Knox is 82nd among more than 300 national liberal arts colleges. The rankings evaluated many characteristics of educational quality in which Knox excelled, including:

• Small class sizes --more than 60% of classes have fewer than 20 students
• Retention rate for first-year students -- nearly 90% of first-year students returned to Knox last year
• The proportion of alumni who support Knox financially -- one third of Knox alumni gave last year

"An outstanding liberal arts education is expensive to provide because of the opportunities it makes available to our students -- small classes with real professors, combined with opportunities for in-depth experiences in research, internships, creative projects, and study abroad," Steenis said. "The 'Great Schools' ranking shows that Knox -- and Knox alumni through their gifts to the College -- are committed to providing that education at an affordable price."

Earlier this year, Knox was ranked 12th among the nation's Best Liberal Arts Colleges by Washington Monthly magazine. The magazine's service-oriented rankings  showcase the college as among the nation's best for its "contribution to the public good" through research, access, and community service. Knox also was selected for The Princeton Review's 2014 edition of its annual guidebook The Best 378 Colleges, which cites "outstanding academics" as the primary factor for inclusion in the guide.