ASU named a top school in US by Washington Monthly

Arizona State University has been named among the top 30 universities in the country in Washington Monthly magazine’s 2014 college rankings. ASU placed 28th overall, up from 49th last year.

Universities throughout the country were rated based on their contribution to the public good in three categories: social mobility through recruiting and graduating low-income students; research that produces cutting-edge scholarship and doctoral students; and service that encourages students to give back to their country.

Universities were rated on social mobility through criteria such as percentage of students receiving Pell grants. Thirty-seven percent of ASU’s students received these grants last year. In addition, more than 56,000 students are receiving financial aid, with more than $1 billion being awarded.

Research rankings examine data such as total research expenditures, the number of bachelor’s degree recipients who go on to receive doctoral degrees, the number of science and engineering doctoral degrees awarded, and faculty who are members of national academies.

ASU research has experienced dramatic growth over the year. In 2014, research expenditures reached $425 million, a 29 percent increase from 2010. Much of that research focuses on work in a broad range of strategic areas that impact the public good, from developing new health diagnostics to discovering reliable and efficient alternative fuels, to improving the ways in which we teach and educate children.

The Sun Devil faculty includes two Nobel laureates, 13 National Academy of Sciences members, 11 American Academy of Arts and Sciences members, six Pulitzer Prize winners, 30 Guggenheim Fellows, and three members of the Royal Society.

Service rankings consider factors such as the number of students and alumni who serve their country and their communities. ASU is 11th in the country for highest number of graduating seniors joining Teach for America, and 16th for highest number of volunteers from large national universities joining the Peace Corps. In addition, Changemaker Central at ASU received an Ashoka U – Cordes Innovation Award for its high-impact approach to positive change and innovation in social entrepreneurship last year.

The top five institutions in the Washington Monthly rankings are: University of California, San Diego; University of California, Riverside; Texas A&M; University of California, Los Angeles; and Stanford University.

ASU also placed 24th in the “Best Bang for the Buck” ranking for national universities, which is rated based on the economic value students receive per dollar.