U.S. News & World Report Recognizes Alverno for Innovation, Strong Commitment to Teaching

Alverno College was recognized for its strong commitment to teaching in rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. The college was also highlighted as the most innovative school in Wisconsin. The publication’s 2024 America’s Best Colleges guidebook also noted Alverno’s senior capstone and social mobility.

Alverno was ranked second among Midwest Regional Universities for its commitment to undergraduate teaching. This marks the fourteenth consecutive year Alverno was recognized in this category, the only college in the state included in this category for its entire 14-year history. The ranking highlights schools “where the faculty have an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.”

“It’s an honor to be recognized for our commitment to undergraduate teaching,” says Christy Brown, JD, president of Alverno College. “We are truly dedicated to preparing our students for lives of personal and professional distinction. I’m proud to say that everyone at the college, from the faculty to the staff, is committed to our students’ success.”

Alverno was ranked the second most innovative school among Midwest regional universities, higher than any other Wisconsin college or university. This is the sixth consecutive year Alverno has ranked in the top five. Schools in this category are “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.”

Alverno was also given honors in several other categories including the list of “Senior Capstones,” which are culminating activities for students nearing graduation. At Alverno, regardless of their major, students articulate what they learned, what it means to them, how their learning is a part of them, and how it drives their future goals and actions. Alverno was the only Wisconsin school noted in this category.

The college was also recognized as a top performer for “Social Mobility,” which measures how well schools graduate students who receive Pell grants. Further, the college ranked fourth for “Ethnic Diversity” among Midwest regional universities where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from a different ethnic group than their own. Of the undergraduate population for the 2022-23 school year, 25% of Alverno students identified as Hispanic or Latina, 18% as Black or African American, 6% as Asian and 4% as two or more races. This makes Alverno, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, one of the state’s most diverse colleges.

This year’s rankings evaluated nearly 1,500 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on as many as 19 measures of academic quality and graduation outcomes, including graduation rates, first-year retention and peer assessment. The full listing can be found at usnews.com.