Penn College Ranked Among 'Best Baccalaureate Colleges" in North

Pennsylvania College of Technology has earned a spot among the "Best Baccalaureate Colleges" in the North Region for the 2010 edition of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News Media Group.

The annual rankings, which include more than 1,400 schools nationwide, were announced in the September issue of U.S. News & World Report, available on newsstands and online .



This was the first time Penn College, a special mission affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University, was ranked among the top tier for baccalaureate colleges. In previous rankings, the college had appeared in the third or fourth tier.

"I am pleased to see the college move into the top tier," said President Davie Jane Gilmour. "This ranking, coupled with our recent recognition among the (The Chronicle of Higher Education's) 2009 Great Colleges to Work For, indicates that our national reputation is growing. That is exciting news for our students, faculty and staff. It also provides another means for prospective students and their families to compare Penn College with other institutions."

Gilmour pointed out that rankings, such as those provided by U.S. News, are only one way to measure the quality of an institution.

"The best measure of success for any institution is the success of its graduates in the workplace and in life," Gilmour said. "We stake our reputation on our alumni and the incredible impact these men and women have on the workforce and on our communities. So, while we celebrate these national rankings, we are more pleased that our most recent graduate survey showed that 95 percent of graduates were employed or continuing their education within a year of their graduation. That is the measure that really counts for us."

The U.S. News & World Report survey's "baccalaureate colleges" category includes 319 schools within four geographic regions (North, South, Midwest and West). It encompasses institutions focusing on undergraduate education and offering a range of degree programs in the liberal arts and in professional fields such as business, nursing and education.

The U.S. News college rankings group schools based on categories created by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The 2010 America's Best Colleges includes rankings for the Best National Universities, Best Liberal Arts Colleges, Best Historically Black Colleges, Best Colleges for Financial Aid, A+ Schools for B Students and Up-and-Coming Schools. This year, the ranking categories were expanded to include Best Colleges for Undergraduate Teaching.

The 2010 America's Best Colleges package provides a thorough examination of how more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools compare on a set of 15 widely accepted indicators of excellence. Key measures of quality are: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.

At Penn College, more than 6,500 students are enrolled in associate- and bachelor-degree programs relating to more than 100 different career areas. The modern campus offers students hands-on instruction and access to the latest equipment, leading to excellent graduate placement and "degrees that work."

For more information about Penn College, visit on the Web , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.