For the ninth year in a row, Cedar Crest College has been named among the top colleges in the nation by U.S. News and World Report’s Best College Rankings 2020. Cedar Crest was also identified by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) as a leader for graduating women who go on to earn PhDs in STEM disciplines.
The college was listed at #7 in U.S. News and World Report’s Top Performer in Social Mobility among Regional Universities. This new ranking identifies colleges that are successful at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating significant proportions of economically disadvantaged students who are eligible for Pell Grants. Cedar Crest College has been named a Top Regional College in various categories every year since 2012.
The College was also highly ranked by the Council of Independent Colleges for educating women to complete STEM bachelor degrees who then go on to earn PhDs. Cedar Crest was ranked in the top 20 nationally for 2007-2016 Women in Chemistry Doctorate Recipients, by Institutional-Yield Ratio. Cedar Crest was also listed in the nation’s top 100 for Women PhDs in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and overall STEM Doctorate Recipients. The CIC study, “Strengthening the STEM Pipeline Part II,” explored how small and mid-sized private institutions prepare graduates for future study and research in STEM focusing on students who have been historically underrepresented in STEM fields—specifically women, blacks or African Americans, and Latinos/Latinas.
“At Cedar Crest College, we are dedicated to preparing our students for a lifetime of continued success,” said Cedar Crest President Elizabeth Meade. “Our ranking among the best colleges in the nation, both for social mobility and for preparing our students for STEM doctoral programs, is evidence of our commitment to access and quality in education.”
Cedar Crest also appeared in a number of additional institutional rankings this year. Among schools of the northeast, Washington Monthly cited Cedar Crest College as #17 in their Best Bang for Your Buck category, and Colleges of Distinction listed Cedar Crest in their Top College listing with notable excellence in business, education, nursing and career development.