Queens College has moved up the ladder to fourth place nationwide — up from 11th last year — in this year’s annual social mobility index issued by CollegeNET, which provides web-based services to higher education and nonprofit institutions.
The index measures the extent to which a college or university educates more economically disadvantaged students — with family incomes below the national median — at lower tuition and graduates them into good-paying jobs.
The company conducted its national survey of 1,458 four-year colleges and universities by analyzing five variables: tuition, economic background of the student body, graduation rates, early career net salaries, and the school’s endowment. Tuition and economic background are weighted the heaviest in the rankings.
According to the index, Queens College has a tuition of $7,138, and 44.4 percent of Queens College students are considered low-income students. Those students who graduate earn a median early career salary of $48,200 per year.
“CollegeNET’s index is just the latest evidence of the outstanding value of a Queens College education,” says Interim President William Tramontano. “The work done by faculty and staff on our campus—and elsewhere in The City University of New York—enables hardworking students from all backgrounds to attain lasting professional and personal success.”
This is one of many top rankings this year for Queens College. For the 28th consecutive year, Queens was listed in the Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges” guide—where it has been featured consistently since the guide’s 1992 debut. Other 2020 designations include a “Best College for Your Money” ranking by Money, “America’s Top Colleges” by Forbes, and a “Best College” by U.S. News & World Report.
Queens College enjoys a national reputation for its liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional programs. With its graduate and undergraduate degrees, honors programs, and research and internship opportunities, the college helps its more than 20,000 students realize their potential in countless ways, assisted by an accessible, award-winning faculty.
