Aiken Times

    

La  Sierra University freshmen participate in orientation activities for  the start of school last September 2021. Photo by Natan Vigna

  

La  Sierra University moved upward in three categories in best colleges  rankings published today by U.S. News & World Report, including a  jump to eighth place among western universities for social mobility.

The U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023  Best Colleges guide released Sept. 12 offers much-anticipated annual  rankings of 1,500 colleges and universities across 17 measures of  academic quality and in multiple specialty rankings for categories such  as Social Mobility, Best Value, Innovative Schools, Undergraduate  Teaching, among others. The guide divides colleges and universities  around the country into four main groupings. La Sierra is listed in the  Best Regional Universities West sector which covers 15 western states  and includes 117 ranked universities this year. 

For  the 2022-2023 ranking of western regional universities, La Sierra  University moved up to No. 50, 17 points higher than last year’s  placement. It is tied for 50th with three other universities. Within  western regional universities, the university jumped up three spots over  last year’s results to eighth place for social mobility which measures a  school’s capacity to enroll and graduate economically disadvantaged  students who qualify for Pell Grants. 

Additionally, the university ranked 20th among western universities for best value, a metric that looks at a  school's academic quality as indicated by its primary ranking and the  previous year’s net cost of attendance for an out-of-state student who  received the average level of need-based financial aid.  La Sierra University is also the only Inland Empire university on the  western regional list to land among the top 20 for best value. The  university last placed in this category in the 2020 Best Colleges guide  when it ranked 23rd.

“We  are so pleased to see La Sierra University’s hard work recognized in  this manner,” said Joy Fehr, La Sierra University president. “These  strong rankings reflect the underlying values and deep commitment that  guide this institution as we serve our amazing students and help them  achieve beyond their expectations.”  

                 

La  Sierra University students participate in the annual Meet the Firms  business networking event at the Zapara School of Business in 2019. The  event offers students a chance to present resumes and apply for jobs.  Photo by Natan Vigna

  

The  university’s high placement in the social mobility category this year  marks a continual move up the roster – in guides for 2020, 2021 and 2022  the university ranked 13th, 17th and 11th respectively, for social mobility. The strong ranking reflects La  Sierra’s ongoing effort to serve those in need of financial assistance.  During the 2021-22 school year, just under 51 percent of La Sierra  University undergraduates were eligible to receive Pell Grants.  Students’ eligibility for this aid is identified by the government based  on the information in the student’s Free Application for Federal  Student Aid, or FAFSA. 

This  focus has also helped the university land top national placements for  its diversity with the annual Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education  college ranking each year since 2016. That guide is typically released  later in September.

Best Colleges 2022-2023 is U.S. News’ 38th edition since its rankings began in 1983. College-bound high schoolers and their families use the guides in  choosing schools for higher education degrees. Best Regional  Universities West in which La Sierra University is ranked annually is a  category that includes those schools with a wide range of undergraduate  programs, some master’s degree offerings and a few doctoral programs.  Regional universities lists are also created for multi-state regions in  the Midwest, North and South. Other main classifications include lists  for National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges.

To view the U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, visit https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges.

Original source can be found here.