Today@Sam Article
SHSU Boasts High Rankings In U.S. News And World Report
Sept. 22, 2023
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd
For the third consecutive year, Sam Houston State University has placed among the top colleges and universities for social mobility in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings.
SHSU moved up two spaces this year and was named #21 in Social Mobility out of the 434 colleges and universities evaluated.
Since 2019, U.S. News has factored in a school’s success at promoting social mobility by measuring the success of students who received federal Pell Grants, among other factors. Students who receive federal Pell Grants typically come from households with annual family incomes less than $50,000.
Online programs at SHSU have received consistently high rankings, including #2 in Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Programs for Veterans, #3 in Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Programs, #9 in Best Master’s in Education Programs for Veterans, #10 in Best Online Master’s in Computer Information Technology Programs for Veterans, #20 in Best Online Master’s in Computer Information Technology Programs, #30 in Best Online Master’s in Education Programs and more.
U.S. News changed its ranking system this year, emphasizing how often students of all socioeconomic backgrounds earned a degree at their school. They evaluated 1,500 four-year bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on 19 measures to generate this year's Best Schools rankings. The criteria with the most weight included graduation rates (17.6%), peer assessment (20%), financial resources per student (10%), graduation performance weight (8%) and class size (8%). The site notes that changes to the ranking system can greatly impact a university’s standing, but SHSU remained in the 130s for Top Public Schools.
Sam Houston State is committed to facilitating social mobility and student success through academic excellence. There are several initiatives and offices dedicated to enhancing opportunities for degree completion and removing barriers for students to earn their degrees, including the Academic Success Center, the Student Money Management Center, the First-Year Experience program and the First-Generation Center, which opened last year and has successfully assisted first-gen students and their families with the transition to college.
This year, incoming students were able to get a head start on their transition into college through the implementation of Bearkat Kickoff. Through this program, first-year students came to campus a week early and could participate in seminars, events and activities to get them acquainted with campus before classes started.
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