West Virginia University is ranked among the top universities in the nation for recruiting and graduating low-income students, a testament to its land-grant mission of providing affordable, accessible education.

Washington Monthly, a nonprofit and government magazine, ranked WVU 27th for “social mobility” in its 2013 college rankings issued this month. The social mobility category examines how well a university recruits and graduates low-income students.

The magazine included 284 national universities in its report.

Overall, WVU ranked 83 out of the 284 for best national universities. The University of California-San Diego topped the list.

WVU also fared well in the service category. For “service staff, courses and financial aid support,” the University ranked 50th. WVU also ranked 56 for community service participation and hours served, and its ROTC program ranked 43.

Washington Monthly began publishing annual college rankings in 2006 as an alternative college guide to U.S. News and World Report and Forbes. It ranks universities based on social mobility, research and service.

To view the rankings, go to http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2013/national_university_rank.php

WVU was also recently named a top university where students get the ‘most bang for their buck’ by PolicyMic. WVU ranks No. 6 in that list of 12. The website states, “West Virginia University is performing better than average in terms of cost, graduation rate, debt at time of graduation and equals the national average percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell grants.” To view that report, go to http://www.policymic.com/articles/60823/12-top-colleges-where-students-get-the-best-bang-for-their-buck.

-WVU-

js/08/27/13

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