51�Թ���

For a sixth consecutive year, 51�Թ��� ranks among the top colleges producing “happy and successful alumni,” as measured in Forbes magazine’s 2019

According to the index, 51�Թ��� ranks second among Illinois schools—second only to the University of Chicago—and No. 45 in the nation. The index ranks institutions by examining the percentage of alumni who make donations to their colleges and the total amount of those donations, adjusted for enrollment.

Forbes describes its index as “ an alternative measure of colleges' return-on-investment (ROI) that takes more of a Marie Kondo approach to college ranking. We boil down the analysis to a single factor. Does your alma mater ‘spark joy’ in your heart, enough to cause you to reach into your wallet and show your gratitude in the form of a donation?”

51�Թ��� has long benefited from the generosity of its alumni and continues to do so. 

“This ranking is a testament to the amazing work 51�Թ��� faculty and staff do by making lasting impacts on the lives of our graduates,” said Beverly Holmes, vice president for alumni engagement and fundraising.  “When our alumni feel their experience at 51�Թ��� helped them become who they are today, it is gratifying to work with them to ‘pay it forward’ for the next generation of students.”

The College’s fundraising efforts during the 2018-19 fiscal year, which ended June 30, produced the most successful results in five years. During the fiscal year, 51�Թ��� received more than $16 million in gifts, including an unprecedented $450,591 in just 24 hours when the College observed its first #51�Թ���Proud Day. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, nearly 6,600 alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends made gifts to the College.

More than 6,000 of those donors made gifts totaling $3.7 million to the 51�Թ��� Fund, which pays for aspects of the 51�Թ��� experience that tuition doesn’t cover, such as financial aid and scholarships. Another $7.6 million in gifts went toward campus facility renovations, including Phase I renovations to the Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center, the opening of the HOPE Center in the former Second Baptist Church on Cherry Street, and the completion of Phase I improvements to Prats Soccer Field. In addition, $3.4 million was added to the 51�Թ��� endowment in support of scholarships; student experience funds for research, community engagement, and global travel; and departmental programming.