Hope College continues to fare well in the multiple college guides and rankings, some in print and some online, published across the summer and fall.
U.S. News & World Report
Hope continues to be listed among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation in the annual rankings compiled by U.S. News & World Report, at 100th out of the approximately 250 institutions that are considered national liberal arts colleges. In addition, Hope is among the 49 institutions of all types and one of only 10 national liberal arts colleges that the publication recognizes for providing outstanding undergraduate research/creative project opportunities, is one of the 76 national liberal arts colleges in a listing of “A-Plus Schools for B Students” and is 88th in the listing of high school counselors’ “top picks” among national liberal arts colleges, and engineering is included in the overview of 203 ABET-accredited programs at institutions where the highest degree is a bachelor's or master's.
The rankings were announced on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and are featured on the U.S. News & World Report website.
Fiske Guide to Colleges
The Fiske Guide to Colleges, now in its 32nd edition, continues to include Hope as one of only about 320 colleges and universities (from among more than 2,200 four-year institutions nationwide) that it highlights as “the best and most interesting institutions in the nation — the ones that students most want to know about.”
The publication features institutional profiles that provide information on academics, campus setting, student body, financial aid, housing, food, social life and co-curricular activities, and integrate reflections from students. The 2016 guide notes that “Hope’s academic and athletic programs continue to grow and prosper, helped out by an array of new facilities” and that “Within the prevailing Christian atmosphere, there is room for other voices and viewpoints.” One of the students quoted observed that “The academic programs, particularly the research and collaborative opportunities, far surpass those of Hope’s rivals,” while another said that “Hope students are unique in their desire to incorporate faith into learning” and a third noted that “Hope is a place where students are challenged to become better students… but, more important, better people.”
Forbes Magazine
Hope is one of 650 institutions included in the “America’s Top Colleges 2015” guide published by Forbes Magazine. Hope is 159th in the Forbes listing, which bases its rankings on five general categories: how satisfied students are with their college experience; graduates’ professional success; student debt; student graduation in four years; and students’ achievement in obtaining nationally competitive awards such as National Science Foundation fellowships and Fulbright awards, or going on to earn a doctorate.
The Princeton Review
Hope is one of the best colleges in the Midwest according to the nationally known education services company, The Princeton Review. The college is one of 159 institutions that The Princeton Review recommends in the “Best in the Midwest” section of its website feature, “2016 Best Colleges: Region by Region.” For the project, The Princeton Review asks students attending the schools to rate their own schools on several issues, from the accessibility of their professors to the quality of their science lab facilities, and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students and their campus life. The institutions are also rated in six categories by The Princeton Review: academics, admissions selectivity, financial aid, fire safety, quality of life and green.
College Raptor
Hope was recognized by College Raptor as a regional gem in the Midwest, defined as high-caliber colleges which receive fewer than 5,000 applicants per year but have a total enrollment of greater than 1,000. Institutions were considered based on academic and outcome data, including graduation rate, selectivity, student-to-faculty ratio and other factors. Hope is ranked third among the 16 chosen for the regional ranking; College Raptor selected only 44 institutions nationwide.
50 Most Beautiful Christian Colleges
The college is seventh in the nation in the listing “50 Most Beautiful Christian Colleges” in the U.S. by onlinechristiancolleges.com, which celebrates highly respected institutions that are “beautiful both academically and aesthetically.” In addition to recognizing the campus overall as well as neighboring Holland, the listing singles out Dimnent Memorial Chapel, which it notes “consistently ranks as one of the most beautiful college chapels in the country.”
College Choice
The college is 31st nationwide in College Choice’s “2015 Rankings of Best Christian Colleges and Universities,” based on factors including academic reputation, financial aid offerings, overall cost and success of graduates in the post-college job market.
10 Best Dance Colleges: Honorable Mention
In addition, in May Hope received an honorable mention in the article “The 10 Best Dance Colleges in the Country” by OnStageBlog.com. Hope was one of only seven colleges and universities with honorable mention.