For the first time since 2013, Hillsdale College’s rank, according to U.S. News & World Report, dropped.
The 2017 list for the best National Liberal Arts Colleges released this week shows Hillsdale at No. 83, 16 places lower than last year. Preliminary reviews of the ranking’s data and methodology indicate a lower graduation rate in 2015 contributed to the drop in rank after the college suspended a larger-than-average group of freshmen in the 2009-2010 academic year, and they never returned to school, Director of Institutional Research George Allen said.
“We are still between 50 and 100 on the list of the best liberal arts schools,” Allen said. “Rankings, however, are primarily a tool for admissions and marketing. They are not an indicator of institutional health, institutional mission, I would even say quality of education.”
Hillsdale College’s six-year graduation rate in 2015 was 77 percent, down from 82 percent in 2014. Since in previous years, the college’s graduation rate was higher, U.S. News predicted the rate to be 82 percent again. Average first-year retention stayed consistent at 96 percent.
Graduation and retention rates account for the largest section of the college’s score. Alone, they make up 20.5 percent of it. The difference between the actual graduation rate and U.S. News’ prediction accounts for 7.5 percent of it.
Allen said he did not know if the decreased graduation rate alone could account for the nearly 20 point drop.
“That’s the only data in the preliminary look that you see or data suffering,” Allen said.
Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said he remembers in the 2009-2010 academic year, more students, especially men, dropped out than what is typical. Of the 168 freshmen who entered that year, 27 did not complete their education while only 15 of the 170 women did not.
Although some of the students left due to illness or being a poor fit for the school, Petersen said he had to suspend 15 students, mostly freshmen, because of drug use. After leaving campus for the spring semester, many chose not to return, he said.
“When I suspend them, the door is always open for return,” Petersen said.
The dean said the class was an anomaly, dropping the first-year retention rate from 90 percent to 87 percent. The year after, however, retention rose to 94 percent, a new high for the school at that time. That class, which entered Hillsdale in 2010, had a six-year graduation rate of 83 percent, which U.S. News will use in next year’s rankings.
“If retention of upperclassmen remains strong, we can expect to see numbers to increase,” Petersen said.
Although rankings are a valuable public relations tools, they don’t represent the “soul of the college,” Allen said. But because Hillsdale is reliant upon public perception for admission of students and financial support, it remains of interest, he said.
Senior Director of Admissions Zack Miller said the college continues to strive to provide the best liberal arts education in the country.
“Hillsdale is still offering the same education,” Miller said. “Prospective students are looking for the right fit. Once they get to know us, who we are, and why we do what we do, they are usually excited.”
As for the college itself, President Larry Arnn said the rankings will not change Hillsdale’s mission.
“It means that we will continue and have college again next year,” Arnn said in an email.