U.S. News and World Report has named Houghton College the top performer among Best National Liberal Arts Colleges in New York State for Social Mobility. Houghton also claimed the top spot for Social Mobility among schools in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the number 10 spot in the nation.
Social Mobility is a category of ranking that assesses how successful a school is at enrolling and graduating students who come from lower-income families. The ranking is determined by the number of enrolled and graduated students who receive Pell Grants, a form of need-based federal financial aid. This year, 34% of Houghton’s student body is PELL eligible, including online, Buffalo and Utica locations.
“Willard J. Houghton founded Houghton College in 1883 to provide high-quality education for young people facing economic challenges, and we have remained true to that mission,” says college president, Dr. Shirley Mullen.
Mullen notes that one of the main concerns around our country right now is the growing trend of students with the most financial need dropping out of college before they graduate, leaving them with massive debt and no degree. “At Houghton, we do everything we can to make sure that our students graduate on time and equipped for lifelong success as they secure their first job and repay their investment in loans,” explains Mullen. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average national student loan default rate for public and private institutions is 10.1%.* Houghton’s student default rate is significantly lower than the national average, coming in at 2.6%.
Houghton College also earned the number #1 spot among Best National Liberal Arts Colleges in New York State for the category “A+ Schools for B students.” “This placement reflects our strong and ongoing commitment to high-potential students,” says Jason Towers, Houghton’s Chief Officer of Enrollment and Marketing. “And, equally important, it highlights that, while the types of successful students we attract may change over time, our high academic standards are unchanging.”
"These are the very kind of students who have the grit and determination to succeed,” comments Mullen. She often hears from alumni who are grateful for the transformative support they received at Houghton. “They say, ‘Houghton met me where I was and took me to places that I could not possibly imagine.”
In addition to these rankings, Houghton was also included as a Best National Liberal Arts College for the 11th consecutive year, coming in at #3 among CCCU schools, in the top 15 in New York and 127th in the nation. Building on this success, Houghton will be launching bold enrollment initiatives to better serve students across all learning platforms from the traditional residential campus to their locations in Buffalo and Utica as well as in undergraduate and graduate online programs.
