Lawrence has been honored by two major publications as being among the nation’s best liberal arts colleges.
The Princeton Review, in the 2009 edition of its annually published book “The Best 368 Colleges,” ranked Lawrence highly in having accessible professors, possessing a strong undergraduate theater program and providing an enjoyable classroom experience. The Princeton Review based its rankings on student survey responses.
U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 report placed Lawrence in the top fourth of U.S. liberal arts institutions, giving Lawrence the 56th spot out of 248, the best showing of any school in Wisconsin. U.S. News uses a holistic approach in ranking schools, analyzing data from institutions and anecdotal information from students and college counselors. This is the tenth year in a row that Lawrence has been in the report’s top quarter.
The rankings, though they provide positive press for Lawrence, are not particularly significant for purposes of admissions and enrollment.
Ken Anselment, director of admissions, said that the rankings likely have “little effect on enrollment, other than incoming students feeling that their decision may have been validated by a third-party source.”
The main benefit for current Lawrence students from the recent rankings, Anselment added, may simply be a “kind of bragging rights.
Lawrence among America’s best in recent rankings
