MILLS RANKED AMONG TOP U.S. LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES 

Oakland, CA - Mills College ranked among the country’s top 100 liberal arts institutions in America’s Best Colleges 2006, published today by U.S. News & World Report. The liberal arts college rankings emphasize undergraduate education and institutions awarding a minimum of half of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. There are 215 liberal arts colleges in the country; 193 are private institutions, and 22 are public.

Mills was ranked 82 among liberal arts colleges nationwide and 16th for racial diversity among liberal arts colleges. The largest minority population at Mills is African-Americans, who comprised nine percent of the student body in 2005–06.

According to U.S. News & World Report, “College-bound students interested in studying with people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds will want to consider student body diversity when choosing a school.”

The diversity rankings calculated the proportion of minority students (omitting international students) and the mix of groups in the institution’s student body in 2005–06. The categories used in their calculations were American Indians and Alaskan Natives (Native Americans), Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, African-Americans who are non-Hispanic, whites who are non-Hispanic, and Hispanics.

Among the statistics noted in the rankings based on Mills’ academic year 2005–06:

• Seventy-five percent of classes have less than 20 students
• Thirty-seven percent of first-year students were in the top 10 percent of their high school class in 2005
• An average of 30 percent of alumni provided financial support to Mills in 2005

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. The Princeton Review selected Mills as one of 11 colleges for first-time inclusion in its Best 361 Colleges in 2005. Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity.

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