Earlham College recognized as national leader for value and impact

Earlham College has earned a spot on The Princeton Review’s “Best Value Colleges” list for the sixth year in a row.

The list features a select group of colleges and universities leading the nation in academics, affordability and career preparation.

“We commend—and recommend—each of the 209 schools that made our Best Value Colleges list for 2023,” said Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief of The Princeton Review. “They share three exceptional distinctions: stellar academics, strong career prospects for their graduates and affordable cost via generous financial aid or a comparatively low sticker price—or both! For these reasons and many others, our Best Value Colleges are truly a select group. They comprise only about eight percent of the nation’s 2,637 four-year undergraduate degree-granting institutions.”

The rankings are based on 40 data points from surveys of administrators at more than 650 colleges. Topics covered everything from academics, cost and financial aid to graduation rates and student debt. The educational services company also factored in data from its surveys of students attending the schools as well as data from PayScale.com’s surveys of alumni about their starting and mid-career salaries and job satisfaction.

In addition to its “Best Value Colleges” list, Princeton Review also compiled a ranking of the “Top 20 Private Schools for Making an Impact.” Earlham ranked 14 based on student survey responses to questions covering community service opportunities, student government, sustainability efforts and on-campus engagement.

“Widening the path to Earlham has been my priority from Day One,” Earlham President Anne Houtman said. “This recognition from The Princeton Review affirms our commitment to access and opportunity for all students.”

Earlham delivers excellence in the liberal arts through its signature student success initiative, the Epic Journey. This four-year program intentionally combines Earlham’s longstanding excellence in the classroom with transformational career-discerning experiences that prepare students to thrive after graduation. The Epic Advantage, which guarantees each student up to $5,000 to participate in an internship or research experience, is a resource that is rare in higher education.

In addition to its generous financial aid packages, Earlham recently introduced a new STEM scholarship program for income-eligible students, regional scholarships for any accepted students living within 150 miles campus, and a new summer immersion program for college-bound high school students. Indiana students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds can also apply for a tuition waiver through the INspire Earlham program.

Earlham is routinely recognized for excellence in the nation’s leading educational resource guides. In the last year, U.S. News and World Report recognized the College as one of the nation’s top 100 liberal arts colleges and called out Earlham’s value and commitment to undergraduate teaching. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2023 includes Earlham as one of the nation’s “best and most interesting” institutions of higher education, noting the College’s commitment to career preparation and its diverse and inclusive campus community.