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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 28, 2007
CONTACT Colene Lind, (785) 227-3311, ext. 8122
BETHANY RISES IN TOP COLLEGE RANKINGS
LINDSBORG, Kan.—The small class sizes Bethany College offers its students recently helped the college attract national attention.
The ranking was a significant improvement from last year’s report, in which Bethany was ranked in the third tier of schools in the “Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor’s” category.
This year, the category was renamed “Baccalaureate Colleges.” It ranks institutions which focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degrees in both liberal arts and pre-professional programs.
Key criteria in judging were acceptance rate, graduation rate and percentage of classes with a size of fewer than 20 students.
Bethany excelled in the class size category. The college earned a fourth-place ranking, with 83 percent of its classes having fewer than 20 students.
“This recognition affirms the positive growth we see on campus in our students,” said Bethany President Edward F. Leonard III. “Bethany has always valued personal interaction and relationships, and we take tangible steps to create a learning environment for our students where they receive individual attention.”
As the college grows, small classes are important because they “give every student the opportunity to participate,” said Bryan Yorton, associate professor of philosophy.
In Yorton’s upper-level philosophy and honors seminar classes at Bethany, the average class size is 10 to 15 students.
Bethany student Beth Prier, a senior biology major, said that when she began taking more advanced science classes, having fewer students in each class was a big advantage. “You need to know that if you don’t understand something, you can ask and get an answer.”
Prier, Chanute, Kan., recently spent her summer doing oceanography research at an Oregon State University program recommended to her by her advisor, Dr. Mark McDonald.
McDonald also helped her apply to the highly competitive program.
“When I got there, I was told that I had the best reference letters. My references described me perfectly because they really know me,” said Prier.
The ratings appeared in the “America’s Best Colleges” report by U.S. News and World Report in their Aug. 27 issue. The magazine annually evaluates accredited four-year schools. For more information, visit www.usnews.com.
Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they live lives of faith, learning and service. Bethany College is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu.
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