U.S. News releases 2020 Best Colleges Rankings

 

POSTED ON Sep 10, 2019

 

U.S. News has published data on educational institutions since 1983, compiling information provided by colleges and universities for its annual survey on academic excellence. For the first time this year, U.S. News ranks schools across Social Mobility. Notably, some of the best colleges for Hispanic students have been ranked as top performers in this category.

According to the Best Colleges Rankings list, economically disadvantaged students are less likely to finish college. But some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants.

A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. The program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post-baccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education. Students may use their grants at any one of approximately 5,400 participating postsecondary institutions.

Using Pell Grants as a proxy measure, the ranking looks at enrollment and graduation rates of low-income students.
Below are some of the best colleges for Hispanics listed as 2020 Top Performers on Social Mobility.

• University of California – Riverside #1
• University of California – Santa Cruz #2
• University of California – Irvine #3
• University of La Verne #4
• University of California – Merced #7
• Florida International University #12
• CUNY City College #17
• The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley #17
• University of Texas – Arlington #20
• California State University – Fresno #27
• Florida Atlantic University #45
• Our Lady of the Lake University #49
• University of New Mexico #62
• University Of Texas – San Antonio #62
• San Diego State University #66
• The University of Texas at El Paso #80

The new ranking of Top Performers on Social Mobility evaluates which schools best serve students historically underrepresented in education.