According to a release from US News, "Best Values"
are colleges "where students can get the best education for their money." Knox
was fourth among national liberal arts colleges in last year's "Best Values"
listing, fifth in 1996, eighth in 1995 and tenth in 1994.
"This year's U.S. News data confirm that Knox continues to be one of the nation's best values in higher education at a liberal arts college, and the unquestioned leader in Illinois," said Knox College President Rick Nahm.
"In particular, it shows that Knox is a national leader in providing a top-flight liberal arts education at a comparatively reasonable cost," Nahm said.
Facts about Knox that went into the 1999 US News rankings included:
* Academic quality of the student body--47% of first year students ranked in the top 10% of their high school class.
* High quality of faculty--92% teach full-time and 92% have doctorates or the top degrees in their field.
* Small classes--69% of classes at Knox have fewer than 20 students, while only 1% of classes have more than 50.
* High student satisfaction--a retention rate of 85% for first year students.
* Financial aid--81% of Knox students received grant assistance to help meet their college costs.
"We are aware that college is expensive, and we're doing all we can through our financial aid policies to make sure that Knox is affordable for all students who are admitted," Nahm said.
"Knox is committed to its educational mission--recruitment and retention of a talented and diverse student body, a faculty that's dedicated to superb teaching, and affordability that keeps Knox within reach of students regardless of income."
In addition, with nine-percent of its enrollment coming from outside the U.S., Knox ranked seventh among national liberal arts colleges in the proportion of international students. Knox was eighth in the category last year.
"The international student ranking isn't the first thing that people turn to in the magazine, but it shows that Knox has a world-wide reputation for high academic quality," Nahm said.
The U.S. News and World Report college rankings will be published Monday, August 24, and are available on the magazine's web site at http://www.usnews.com. The annual report covers 162 national liberal arts colleges, 228 national universities, 504 regional universities and 429 regional colleges. The "Best Values" rankings are also on the magazine's web site.
Founded in 1837, Knox is an independent, four-year, liberal arts college, located in Galesburg, Illinois, with 1,200 students from 42 states and 33 nations. Knox's "Old Main," a National Historic Landmark, is the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.
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