The 2017 Social Mobility Index (SMI) -- a measurement of US
higher education's commitment to growing success and opportunity for
economically disadvantaged students -- has identified several consistently
high-ranking institutions, based on their success at emphasizing and developing
academic support programs to help low-income students obtain college degrees
and good-paying jobs.
“Unlike other college rankings that are aimed primarily at
helping students select a college,” says Jim Wolfston, CEO of CollegeNET, “the
SMI helps policymakers determine which colleges are addressing the national
problem of economic mobility. Administrators have a better chance to help
strengthen US economic mobility and the promise of the American Dream if they
can identify and learn from colleges that are skilled at doing this.”
According to the 2017 SMI, several such leading institutions
include:
* Baruch College, which ranked #1 in the SMI for the third
consecutive year
* UC and CSU schools, which dominated the rankings, placing
13 schools in the top 20
* Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina, which
remains in the top 20 for the fourth straight year
“I am thrilled that Winston-Salem State University is once
again recognized as a leader in social mobility,” says Dr. Elwood L. Robinson,
Chancellor at Winston-Salem State. “Through a culture of engagement, innovative
programs and community partnerships, we are helping to make the American dream
a reality for under-resourced students. Our efforts are transforming, not only
the lives of our students and their families, but also their communities, our
state and our nation.”
The SMI ranks schools according to five variables:
Published tuition
Endowment
Percentage of student body from families below the US median
income
Graduation rate of low-income students
Reported salary after graduation for low-income students
For more information about the SMI and the 2017 SMI
rankings, visit www.socialmobilityindex.org.
