Albright Named Top Performer for Social Mobility

Released by U.S. News and World Report today, Albright College has again been ranked as a top National Liberal Arts College, and has been named a Top Performer on Social Mobility — a new measure for 2020. The college placed 31 out of 108 national liberal arts colleges on the new social mobility measure — above Vassar, U.S. Air Force, Navy and Military Academies.

Only 223 national liberal arts colleges were ranked for 2020, designated by U.S. News and World Report as institutions that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of degrees in the liberal arts fields of study.

New for 2020, is the U.S. News and World Report’s list for Top Performers on Social Mobility. Although economically-disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college, some colleges are more successful than others at enrolling and seeing disadvantaged students through to graduation. U.S. News and World Report’s new social mobility scale ranks institutions based on how well they graduated students who received federal Pell Grants. Typically, Pell Grants are awarded to students who come from households with a family income of less than $50,000. But because Pell Grant award amounts vary, most Pell Grant dollars actually go to students with a total family income below $20,000.

Recognizing that almost half of Albright students are the first in their family to attend college and a significant number are Pell recipients, the college continues to expand its focus on preparing students for academic and social challenges. New faculty development programs, as well as aim to strengthen teaching, learning and innovation on Albright’s campus.