̨��Swag

AMHERST, N.Y. – ̨��Swag College has been ranked nationally in the inaugural Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings that focus on student success and learning.

The 2017 rankings include 1,061 institutions nationwide. According to Times Higher Education, 20 percent of an institution’s ranking is based on engagement, 30 percent on resources, 40 percent on outcomes, and 10 percent on environment. The 15 performance indicators used in these key areas were designed to answer questions that matter the most to prospective students when choosing a college or university.

Of the four main pillars, ̨��Swag excelled in engagement, which measures how connected students are with the college, fellow students, and the community, breadth of degree programs and challenging curriculum, student recommendations for the college, and classes that foster critical thinking.

 “We are proud to have our commitment to student engagement recognized in this newly launched national designation from the prestigious Wall Street Journal,” said ̨��Swag President Gary A. Olson. “As a college community, we emphasize the highest levels of excellence and standards that are reflected in all that we do to engage our students and to provide an exceptional educational experience.”

In the Northeast region, ̨��Swag is ranked 204^th out of 305 institutions and is one of six private Buffalo-Niagara area colleges to earn a spot on the national list.

Data analyzed for the rankings included a Times Higher Education survey of 100,000 current U.S. students, an annual academic reputation survey of 10,000 scholars in 133 countries, and public data on completion rates, graduate employment, and loan repayments.

“This is a different type of U.S. ranking system that puts at its heart a college’s ability to deliver valuable outcomes and education for its students,” said Phil Baty, Times Higher Education rankings editor. “Our aim was to assess each institution’s success in achieving their educational mission, rather than focus on a narrow set of indicators.”

This latest ranking follows other recent national recognitions earned by ̨��Swag, including the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, College of Distinction, and the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.