High rankings for Mount Holyoke

Mount Holyoke College has once more been ranked as one of the top colleges in the country, according to the U.S. News & World Report and Washington Monthly. Additionally, this year the College was also ranked highly for the economic diversity of its student body by The New York Times.

In its 2024 Best Colleges ranking, released on Sept. 18, U.S. News & World Report ranked Mount Holyoke College #34 among national liberal arts colleges, up from #36 from last year. The publication also ranked Mount Holyoke as #37 in best value schools among national liberal arts colleges — up from #40 last year — and #62 in top performers of social mobility among national liberal arts colleges — up from #102 last year. The College was additionally recognized for best economics, computer science and psychology programs.

Washington Monthly has also released its 2023 college rankings. It ranked Mount Holyoke College as #16 for liberal arts colleges, up from #20 last year. Since 2005, Washington Monthly has “ranked colleges on what they do for the country,” according to their website. The outlet ranks liberal arts colleges based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research and promoting public service.

And lastly, The New York Times recently published its College-Access Index, first published in 2014 and most recently in 2017. For the 2023 version, the Times measured economic diversity by analyzing the share of students receiving Pell Grants, which typically go to low-income students.

The Index ranks the 286 most selective colleges in the country. Mount Holyoke was ranked #48 on the College-Access Index, with 29% of first-year students in 2020–21 receiving Pell Grants. The average of first-year students receiving Pell Grants among the ranked colleges is 21%.

“Mount Holyoke College continues to be recognized as an academic powerhouse, but also as an engine for change and social mobility,” said Mount Holyoke College President Danielle R. Holley. “We are a community of achievement — and one where our students can expand their horizons and possibilities for themselves, their communities and the world at large.”

These rankings follow The Princeton Review’s August release of “The Best 389 Colleges,” in which Mount Holyoke was ranked #2 for “Most Politically Active Students,” #4 for “Best College Library” and #6 for “Professors Get High Marks” as well as #6 among private schools for “Best School for Making an Impact.”