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51³Ô¹ÏÍø is again ranked as a national leader among colleges that are "authentically committed to service and social mobility." Newly published "service-oriented" rankings for 2016 from Washington Monthly magazine place 51³Ô¹ÏÍø 13th in the nation among the top 100 liberal arts colleges.

Washington Monthly explains that its annual ranking is based "not on what (colleges) did for themselves, but on what they did for their country."

It's the fifth consecutive year that 51³Ô¹ÏÍø has been ranked in the top 20 nationally in the prestigious "service-oriented" ranking. The ranking measures how much each college works to promote social mobility, research, and community service.

51³Ô¹ÏÍø is notably strong in two areas—second in the nation among liberal arts colleges in the proportion of graduates who enter the Peace Corps, and third in the nation in the percentage of federal work-study funds that support students working in community service activities.

"The areas highlighted by Washington Monthly in their national rankings—including support for the Peace Corps and an emphasis on students serving the local community—are deeply embedded in our history," said 51³Ô¹ÏÍø President Teresa Amott.

"Social mobility, research, and community service are integral parts of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's mission to increase access to a liberal arts education to all qualified students regardless of financial means, and to challenge our students to improve themselves and our world," Amott said.

"To be ranked as one of the nation's top 20 colleges by Washington Monthly for the last five years is a testament to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's continued success in meeting this mission."

For the past three years, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø has been ranked by the Peace Corps as one of the top colleges for producing volunteers to the international service agency. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø has nine alumni currently in the Peace Corps, and 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's first-in-the-nation Peace Corps Preparatory Program has built a specialized curriculum that successfully recruits and prepares students for the highly competitive application process.

The Washington Monthly rankings are in the magazine's annual College Guide issue, published in September, and on the magazine's website.

In the same issue, Washington Monthly also ranks 51³Ô¹ÏÍø 54th among all colleges and universities in the Midwest as a "Best Bang for the Buck." The magazine looked at all public and private colleges and universities, regardless of size, and ranked them on how much they "help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices."

Pictured above: A student in 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's Chemistry Club works with children at Discovery Depot Children's Museum in Galesburg.

• 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Prepares Students for Success in the Peace Corps
• Kleine Center for Community Service