U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RANKS MILLS 6TH AMONG WESTERN UNIVERSITIES

America’s Best Colleges Recognizes Mills as a “Great School, Great Price” for High Academic Quality, Value 

Oakland, CA - America’s Best Colleges (2008), published by U.S. News & World Report, has ranked Mills College sixth among western colleges and universities, and sixth in the category of “Great Schools, Great Prices.” These rankings recognize Mills for the high quality of its academic programs and the exceptional value of the Mills experience to students.

For the first time, Mills was included in the “Universities–Master’s” category among institutions providing a full range of undergraduate and master’s degree programs. Ranked according to the four regions (north, south, midwest, and west), 574 universities were listed in this category in the 2008 edition of America’s Best Colleges. Within the western region, Mills garnered the sixth-place spot out of 58 colleges and universities.

The measures U.S. News & World Report used to determine Mills’ academic quality included: assessment by administrators of peer institutions, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving. Mills students benefit from an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with fewer than 20 students in more than 75 percent of classes. Sixty-six percent of Mills first-year students were in the top 25 percent of their high school classes. Mills enjoys an alumni giving average of 26 percent.

The “Great Schools, Great Prices” category recognizes institutions with a high academic quality relative to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. “Only schools ranked in, or near, the top half of their categories are included, because we work on the premise that the most significant values are among colleges that are above average academically,” according to U.S. News & World Report.

In 2006–07, 82 percent of Mills students received grants based on need, with an average discount of 44 percent from the total cost of attendance. The average remaining cost after receipt of aid was $25,070.

In past years, Mills was ranked in the category of liberal arts colleges. For the 2008 edition, Mills was re-categorized based on the number of master’s degrees offered, a classification determined by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Carnegie classifications categorize all accredited degree-granting U.S. colleges and universities, and are widely used for comparison purposes.

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. 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.

PRESS CONTACT:
Deborah Dallinger
Communications Consultant
925.788.9131