College Rankings

In the latest edition of "America's Best Colleges" published by U.S. News & World Report, Linfield College has been listed alongside the best liberal arts colleges in the United States, which confirms Linfield's growing excellence as a selective residential undergraduate college.

The U.S. News rankings follow classifications maintained by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Following a two-year review, the Carnegie Foundation has included Linfield as one of only six institutions in Oregon and Washington in a new classification, Baccalaureate Colleges – Arts & Sciences.

Regardless of category and ranking, the quality of education a student receives at Linfield College remains exceptionally high. Linfield's unique mix of liberal arts and sciences, coupled with professional programs, provides strong preparation for life and helps students find their calling through professional and practical opportunities. Some examples include:

• Recognized nationally for its international programs, the college added two more international study programs last year. At Linfield more than 50 percent of the graduates study abroad – for a semester, a year or through an intensive one-month January Term program.
• Since 1999, Linfield has had 15 Fulbright scholars and was named a top producer of Fulbright awards for bachelor's institutions in the Chronicle of Higher Education last year.
• Since 1998, the McMinnville Campus has more than doubled in size from 78 acres to 193, opening new library, theatre, art, music and mass communication facilities and adding six apartment-style residences and two new residence halls.
• Linfield has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 93 percent of the full-time faculty hold a Ph.D. or the terminal degree in their field.
• Linfield emphasizes experiential learning through active participation in workshops and fieldwork, individualized tutorials and faculty-student collaborative research.
• A major renovation is planned for Northup Hall that will house the Linfield Center for Regional Studies along with the Departments of Business, Economics, English and Philosophy.
• The Linfield graduation rate is significantly higher than the national average of 57 percent for private colleges offering only bachelor's degrees. Linfield graduates 67 percent of its freshmen in five years. Linfield's freshman-to-sophomore retention rate is 83 percent, which is significantly higher than the 71 percent for private colleges offering only bachelor's degrees.

Linfield College is recognized by peers and outside organizations, including The Princeton Review andthe soon-to-be launched University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN), for the high quality of its academic programs. Information from these various publications can assist families in making important choices about higher education.

The McMinnville News Register has published an article on college rankings quoting Dr. Thomas Hellie.