The financial news publication noted Elon's approach to experiential learning and emphasis on global education in naming the university one of the top-100 private institutions in the country.
Elon University has been listed as one of the top private colleges and universities in the South and among the top 100 private institutions in the country in its new "America's Top Colleges 2019" rankings.
Elon ranked #13 among private colleges and universities in the South, with the list including private institutions of all sizes, from small colleges to large research-based institutions. The top five in the list were Duke University, Rice University, Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia and Washington and Lee University. Within North Carolina, Elon ranked #5 among private schools, following Duke, UNC, Davidson College and Wake Forest University.
"A private school, Elon emphasizes the need for experiences outside of the classroom, with about three-quarters of students studying abroad while at the university," Forbes noted in its coverage of the top colleges and universities in the South.
The rankings include 650 of the country's 4,300 degree-granting postsecondary institutions, with Elon ranking #99 nationally among private schools. Topping the list nationally are Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University.
The rankings, which were first published in 2009, focus on academics and the career outcomes of graduates. An institution's ranking is based upon alumni salary, student satisfaction, student debt loads, on-time graduation rates and academic success, as well as alumni who have gone on to become "American Leaders." More information about the methodology is available here.