Hope's Graduation Rate
Among the Best in Michigan

The rate of graduation at Hope College ranks among the best in Michigan, according to the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in a new report, "Diplomas and Dropouts: Which Colleges Actually Graduate Their Students (and Which Don't)."

The study of nearly 1,400 colleges and universities was in response to a challenge from President Obama that America have the highest proportion of colleges in the world.

The Institute conducted its study using the classifications of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education and admissions selectivity scheme from "Barron's Profiles of American Colleges."

PDF of the complete report

Hope Named Outstanding Employer

For the fourth consecutive year, Hope College has been named one of the "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" in West Michigan.

The competition is a program of the Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA) and the National Association for Business Resources (NABR). Hope and the region's other 2008 winners will be recognized during an awards luncheon at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville on Thursday, May 1.

Businesses are evaluated in nine categories: communication, community initiatives, compensation and benefits, diversity and multiculturalism, employee education and development, employee engagement and commitment, recognition and retention, recruitment and selection, and work-life balance. Considerations within each category include a unique thought process with top support from senior management and policy makers; the quality of programs, services and solutions for employees; and adaptation to new factors in the marketplace. learn more

Recognized recently as an exemplary program by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Phelps Scholars Program takes a holistic approach in linking academics and residence life for first-year students interested in studying issues related to diversity. Although across its first decade the program has earned praise from students on many counts, one stands foremost among the others: the enduring, strong network of friendships that they form as participants. Pictured this spring from left to right above are Diane Hawke, Rebekah Chew, Esther Moon, Mikella Bryant and Joshua Williams.

Phelps Scholars Program Recognized
as Exemplary Diversity Program

The Hope College Phelps Scholars Program -- an academic/residential program for students interested in race and culture -- was recognized in 2009 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as an exemplary diversity program in higher education.

Hope College is one of 32 institutions featured in the AAC&U publication "More Reasons for Hope: Diversity Matters in Higher Education." Others among the featured honorees include the University of Michigan; DukeUniversity in Durham, N.C.; EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, Ga.; and WheatonCollege in Norton, Mass.

Read the announcement about the recognation

Learn more about the Phelps Scholars Program

Hope Highlighted as a Favorite

Loren Pope’s newest edition Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College that's Right for You highlights Hope in a chapter titled "A Few Favorites."

"Hope, in Holland, Michigan, is another that merits a lot more attention than it gets, raising higher education's moral and intellectual levels. It is a place where parents can send children of a wide range of abilities, knowing that their talents will be increased, their visions broadened, their ethical acuities sharpened, and they will be prepared to prosper in a changed and changing world."

Hope Remains Rated in the Top Tier among National Liberal Arts Colleges

Hope College continues its strong showing in national and regional college and university guides.

Hope remains in the first tier among the nation's best liberal arts colleges as determined by "U.S. News and World Report," ranking 88th in the publication's 2009 "America's Best Colleges Guide." The college also continues to be included among the 33 select institutions listed in the publication's "Programs to Look For" section in the category singling out schools that are outstanding for "Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects."

Learning the Hope Way

Book features Hope as an example of a college that gets it right.

Hope is one of only 10 church-related colleges and universities nationwide highlighted in Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students Purposefully, which argues “that an effective and ideal undergraduate college education is one that centers on holistic student development, including the search for meaning and purpose in life.” Published by Anker Publishing Company Inc. of Bolton, Mass., the book was co-authored by Dr. Larry A. Braskamp, Dr. Lois Calian Trautvetter and Dr. Kelly Ward. Learn more

Hope Highlighted in Fiske Guide to Colleges

Hope is among the approximately 330 of "the country's best and most interesting colleges and universities" featured in the new 2010 edition of the guide. Hope has consistently been included in the publication through the years.

Hope is one of 159 schools receiving "Best in the Midwest" designation from "The Princeton Review." In addition, Hope ranks 166th nationally on the new "America's Best Colleges" guide that has debuted on Forbes.com, placing third among the 15 Michigan institutions included in the listing.

Colleges That Change Lives

Loren Pope’s newest edition book Colleges that Change Lives, cites Hope as one of 40 "lilfe-changing" colleges that are outdoing the Ivies and the major universities in producing winners" and describes the college as a place that "raises higher education's moral and intellectual levels."

Hope Recommended in Guide
by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Hope is among 50 colleges recommended by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in its guide All-American Colleges: Top Schools for Conservatives, Old-Fashioned Liberals and People of Faith, which notes that “The students and faculty we spoke with confirm that the school walks its talk; Hope College is both academically serious and theologically earnest.”

Hope's Academic Programs
Earn National Accreditation

Hope is the only private, four-year liberal arts college in the United States with national accreditation in art, dance, music and theatre. Hope also has accredited programs in Athletic Training, Chemistry, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Social Work. Hope is the only college or university in Michigan where business students can participate in the George F. Baker Scholars Program, which provides a wide range of real-world experiences beyond the classroom.

Hope in Top 10 for Peace Corps Volunteers

Hope College is in the top-10 nationwide among small colleges and universities producing Peace Corps Volunteers in 2008.

Hope is the only school from Michigan in the top-25 for small colleges and universities for 2008, according to the "Peace Corps Top Colleges and Universities 2009" listings released on Monday, Jan. 12. With 18 alumni serving as Peace Corps Volunteers, Hope is in a five-way tie for 10th on the listing with Colgate University, Dartmouth College, Gustavus Adolphus College and Willamette University. In last year's report, Hope ranked 24th nationally for 2007 with 14 alumni serving as volunteers.

The Peace Corps ranks schools according to the size of the student body. Small schools are those with fewer than 5,000 undergraduates, medium-size schools have between 5,001 and 15,000 undergraduates, and large schools have more than 15,000 undergraduates. Hope has 3,238 students this year.

Read the announcement