NEW YORK—Fordham University was ranked 41st in Washington Monthly’s annual survey of 245 national universities, ahead of Princeton University, Boston College, Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, and Loyola University Chicago. Last year, Fordham ranked 68th overall in U.S. News & World Report’s annual survey of the best American colleges, out of 248 schools (the 2007 U.S. News & World Report rankings will be announced in late August).
The Washington Monthly survey is intended as a counterbalance to college surveys like those in U.S. News & World Report, and differs from those surveys in methodology and intent, asking not only what value students received for their tuition dollars, but what value the nation receives for its tax dollars.Washington Monthly’s survey, in its September 2006 issue, determines a university’s overall score according to three criteria: how well it performs as an engine of social mobility; how well it fosters scientific and humanistic research; and how well it promotes an ethic of service to the country. Fordham climbed 16 points in the ratings from last year’s rank of 57.
Social mobility rankings are calculated using the percentage of students receiving Pell grants and their predicted and actual graduation rates. Fordham ranked 26th in this category, with 28 percent of its students receiving Pell grants, and a graduation rate 11 percent higher than its predicted rate (based on incoming SAT scores and the percentage of Pell grant recipients).
A university’s research rank is calculated using the dollar amount of federal research grants it receives, the number of bachelor’s degree recipients who go on to receive Ph.D.s, and the number of Ph.D.s awarded. Fordham ranked 211th in federal research funds; 106th in bachelor’s degrees to Ph.D.s; and 125th in number of Ph.D.s awarded.
The service rankings are determined by the percentage of students who go on to the Peace Corps or participate in the ROTC program, and by the percentage of federal work-study funds that are spent on community service. The University ranked 60th in Peace Corps service; 16th in ROTC participation; and 82nd in the percentage of work-study funds spent on community service.
