Elon is recognized for its rapid rise in the magazine's annual "America's Best Colleges" list.
Forbes magazine highlights Elon University as one of the nation’s top “Colleges to Watch,” in its annual ranking of “America’s Best Colleges,” which was released July 30. Elon is one of four schools recognized for steadily rising in the magazine’s rankings, which were first issued in 2009.
Read the “Rising Stars” story: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ccap/2014/07/30/rising-stars-10-top-colleges-to-watch/
Forbes says Elon’s rapid rise is due to many factors, including low student debt and a high four-year graduation rate. According to Forbes, “Elon ranks in the top 100 schools on federal student debt loads and debt default rates.”
Forbes also praises Elon’s high graduation rate, saying, “Elon is dedicated to not only getting students through, but through in four years which in turn keeps costs lower, and debt loads manageable.”
Forbes had this to say about its “Rising Star” colleges: “By focusing on student success and college affordability, those universities are succeeding. Outspending the competition only leads to the academic arms race partially responsible for the rising costs of college. The only way to do well in this list is to produce superior undergraduates that succeed later in life, enjoy their experience, and graduate on time without high debt.”
Other schools recognized as “Rising Stars” include the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the University of Vermont and St. Louis University, with honorable mentions going to Auburn University, Elizabethtown College and Temple University.
Forbes produces its rankings in partnership with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, with a methodology that calculates value for 650 top colleges and universities. Data for the rankings comes from the National Center for Education Statistics.