Midd Rises in Rankings of Liberal Arts Colleges

The College rose in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings for national liberal arts colleges posted on Sept. 8. The College — which had previously ranked seventh among its peer institutions — is now tied for fourth alongside Bowdoin College, Pomona College and Wellesley College.

“It is important to keep in mind that the margins of difference among top colleges in rankings such as this one are extremely small and that movements up and down from year to year are to be expected,” Dean of Admissions Greg Buckles said.

According to U.S. News, the rankings are based on measures of an individual institution’s quality in seven broad areas, each with a designated percentage weight: undergraduate academic reputation (22.5 percent); graduation and retention rates (22.5 percent); faculty resources (20 percent); student selectivity (12.5 percent); financial resources (10 percent); alumni giving (5 per- cent); and graduation rate performance (7.5 percent). None of the weights were changed from the 2015 rankings.

“We believe that rankings sometimes can play too large a role in the decisions students and families make about what colleges to apply to and attend,” Buckles said.

“Just as we use many factors to determine which students to admit to Middlebury, we always hope prospective students will look beyond the numbers and seek out those colleges and universities that are the best fit for them.”