Westminster College is among the nation's best in enhancing the educational achievement of its students, according to a national study released today.

U.S. News & World Report's 2009 Guide to America's Best Colleges cited Westminster as one of the nation's best in enhancing the educational achievement of its students. Westminster is tied for fifth among ranked Liberal Arts Colleges and in the top ten of all colleges in graduation rate performance. Westminster College's 76% graduation rate was 14% higher than predicted.

The indicator, developed by U.S. News and previously called "value added," shows the effect of the college's programs and policies on the graduation rate of its students after controlling for spending and student aptitude. U.S. News arrives at the score by measuring the difference between a school's six-year graduation rate for the class that entered in 2001, and the predicted graduation rate for the class. The predicted graduation rate is calculated using a formula that accounts for the standardized test scores of these students and the school's expenditures on them over the years. If the actual graduation rate is higher than the predicted rate, the college is enhancing the students' achievement.

"This recognition is a testament to the great work being done on a daily basis by Westminster students, faculty, and staff," said Westminster College President Dr. Richard Dorman. "We are committed to providing a rigorous learning experience that provides our students with the intellectual, social, and career skills needed to excel upon graduation. Our goal is to have this occur within a traditional four-year program and it is consistently clear we are succeeding."

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching reclassified higher education institutions in 2006 resulting in a new classification system for U.S. News & World Report. This year 265 colleges were included in the category, and these institutions emphasize undergraduate education and award at least 50 percent of their degrees in the arts and sciences.

U.S. News & World Report's 2009 Guide to America's Best Colleges

Westminster is a national leader in graduation rate performance.