Camarillo, Calif., Oct. 23, 2014 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) has earned recognition as one of the top universities nationwide for its “Bang for the Buck” in Washington Monthly’s 2014 College Rankings. The annual rankings highlight public-minded universities who are providing students the best value for their money.
In addition to weighing the economic value students receive per dollar, the study rates schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and Ph.D.s), and service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).
CI earned a ranking of 19th among all master’s-granting universities for its value and public benefit.
“Unlike U.S. News and World Report and similar guides, this one asks not what colleges can do for you, but what colleges are doing for the country,” the Washington Monthly report states. “Instead of crediting colleges that reject the most applicants, we recognize those that do the best job of enrolling and graduating low-income students. Our rankings measure both pure research spending and success in preparing undergraduates to earn Ph.D.s. And by giving equal weight to public service, we identify colleges that build a sense of obligation to their communities and the nation at large.”
Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine covering U.S. politics and government, based in Washington, D.C. It has published public-minded college rankings since 2005, adding the “bang for the buck” measure in 2012. According to the publication, the rankings “reject the idea that expense, luxury, and exclusivity should be held up as the highest values for colleges and students to aspire to.” Instead, the guide focuses on colleges that put the most low-income students onto the path of higher education, produce groundbreaking research that drives economic growth, and promote public service and civic engagement through their curriculum and programs.
“We’re delighted to have Washington Monthly acknowledge the campus and communitywide effort that makes CSU Channel Islands one of the nation’s best values in public education,” said CI President Richard R. Rush. “At CI, students are at the center of our mission and everything we do. This ranking validates not only that our mission is working but also that a CI degree is earning high regard well beyond our community.”
The 2014 study examined 1,540 colleges, including public, private nonprofit, and for-profit colleges, in 50 states, listed in the U.S. Department Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. The institutions had to have a Carnegie basic classification of research, master’s, baccalaureate, and baccalaureate/associate’s colleges; participate in federal financial aid programs; and could not be exclusively graduate schools.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.