September 16, 2021 – U.S. News & World Report has recognized Millikin University as a leading institution in higher education in its 2022 “Best Colleges” guidebook, released on Sept. 13, 2021. Millikin is ranked No. 12 in the Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest category, making Millikin the highest ranked college in Illinois on this list.
Millikin was also recognized for distinction in several other categories, including Best Value Schools in the Midwest at No. 30 and Social Mobility at No. 37.
For the first time, Millikin University was ranked among the top Regional Undergraduate Nursing Colleges in the Midwest. The new category ranking includes 694 schools in the nation putting Millikin in the top third of undergraduate nursing programs in the nation.
“We are always encouraged to be ranked among the very best Midwestern institutions of higher learning by U.S. News & World Report. What is most gratifying is to note that Millikin was ranked very highly for the work we do to provide both excellent instruction for our students and for our commitment to helping students with significant financial need to finish their education and graduate,” said Millikin President Dr. Jim Reynolds. “We continue to use positive rankings like the ones found in U.S. News & World Report as a marker for the success of our curriculum, our dedication to Performance Learning and our community of caring that is so vital to students today. Millikin University is a special place, and rankings like this reinforce that to us all.”
Best Regional Colleges, Midwest
The Best Regional Colleges category is comprised of 371 schools that are divided and ranked in four geographical groups: North, South, Midwest and West. Millikin has participated in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” publication and data collections for over 20 years. For the majority of those years, Millikin has been ranked in the top 18 or higher.
Best Value
At No. 30, Millikin is the third-highest ranked college in Illinois for Best Value Schools in the Midwest. To determine which colleges and universities offer the best values for students, U.S. News & World Report factors academic quality and cost. The ratio of quality to price accounted for 50 percent of the overall score; the percentage of all full-time undergraduates receiving (federal/state) need-based grants accounted for 20 percent; the average discount accounted for 10 percent; and the percentage of full-time undergraduates receiving need-based aid who also receive (institutional) grant or scholarship aid.
Social Mobility
U.S. News & World Report recognized Millikin University as a Top Performer on Social Mobility in the Midwest, listing Millikin as the second-highest ranked college in Illinois on this list at No. 37. Social mobility measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants – those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000.
Best Undergraduate Nursing – Regional Colleges
This year marks the first time Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs have been included in the U.S. News & World Report’s rankings. Listed at No. 221, Millikin sits in the top third of undergraduate nursing programs in the nation and is No. 4 for Illinois schools. U.S. News reported in its overview of the rankings that the new BSN list comes amid “enrollment in nursing programs ticking up in 2020.” The list joins other discipline-specific rankings at the undergraduate level, such as computer science, engineering and business, U.S. News reported.
“It is always wonderful to be acknowledged in U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings. These rankings recognize the outstanding work of our faculty, staff and students, in delivering on Millikin’s mission and providing innovative Performance Learning opportunities for our students both inside and outside the classroom,” said Millikin Interim Provost Mary Black.
The 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings are calculated using 17 key measures of quality. U.S. News uses multiple measures to capture the various dimensions of academic quality at each college such as graduation and retention, graduation rate performance, social mobility, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources, financial resources, expert opinion, student excellence and alumni giving. The indicators include both input measures, which reflect the quality of students, faculty and other resources used in education, and outcome measures, which capture the results of the education an individual receives at the institution.
