U.S. News And World Report Declares WNEU a ‘Best Value’
SPRINGFIELD — Western New England University (WNEU) received multiple recognitions in U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 “America’s Best Colleges,” an in-depth look at more than 1,800 institutions of higher education nationwide.
Along with its traditional place among the top tier of Regional Universities in the North, Western New England was included in such categories as Best Value Schools, Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, and A-Plus Schools for B Students.
“For the second consecutive year, the fall semester started with a record number of full-time undergraduate students on campus,” said Bryan Gross, vice president for Enrollment Management. “Students, families, and our peers have taken note of the investments the university has made, like our new University Commons dining facility, increased financial aid, and better technology designed to provide students with a transformative yet affordable education.”
The U.S. News rankings focus on measures of academic excellence, with schools evaluated on hundreds of data points covering up to 16 measures of academic quality. Individual colleges and universities are compared with institutions that share similar characteristics and academic missions. Western New England ranked 68th this year among the nearly 200 institutions in the Best Regional Universities – North category.
Western New England rated even higher in the rankings of best values among regional universities. U.S. News sought to identify schools that are above average academically and cost considerably less than many other schools when financial aid is taken into account.
U.S. News also recognized, but did not rank, what it calls A-Plus Schools for B Students. These highly rated schools admit a meaningful proportion of students who do not get straight As.
“As our institution has grown, we’re seeing more and more students believe that a Western New England education is beyond their reach. In many cases, that is simply not true,” said Gross. “We are actively looking for students that bring individual strengths to the university, students with the drive and potential to thrive when provided the personal attention and unique opportunities that are hallmarks of a Western New England education.”
When it comes to Engineering programs, Western New England University was ranked among the best in the nation when it comes to institutions where the primary focus is on undergraduate education. In this category, Western New England ranked fourth in Massachusetts and 57th in the nation.
