ALMA — Alma College recently received nods from national higher education guides, who tout the college for its social mobility, undergraduate teaching and veterans services, among other attributes.

Alma was ranked No. 1 in the Midwest for the “Best Colleges for Veterans – Regional Colleges” category by U.S. News and World Report for the 2024-25 academic year. Alma was also touted as No. 4 in the Midwest for the “Undergraduate Teaching – Regional Colleges” category, No. 8 in the Midwest for the “Regional Colleges” category and No. 27 in the Midwest for the “Social Mobility – Regional Colleges” category.

“We are honored to again by recognized by U.S. News and World Report, the Princeton Review, Washington Monthly and Forbes,” said Alma College President Jeff Abernathy. “These recognitions reflect our longstanding commitment to student success and exceptional outcomes.”

Now in its 39th year, the rankings evaluate more than 1,450 colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality.

“For nearly 40 years, the Best Colleges methodology has continuously evolved to reflect changes in the higher education landscape and the interests of prospective students,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at U.S. News. “Guiding that evolution is U.S. News’ mission of providing useful data and information to help with one of life’s biggest decisions.”

Prospective students can see how Alma compares to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated on usnews.com.

‘Best in the Midwest’

The Princeton Review also recently released its “2025 Best Colleges: Region by Region” feature, which included Alma College among the “Best in the Midwest.”

A leading tutoring, test preparation and college admissions services company, The Princeton Review has been listing colleges and universities annually in various categories for more than 30 years.

Alma’s inclusion is the result of a survey that asks students to rate their schools in several areas and report on their experiences. Areas included: academics/administration, campus life, fellow students and their own experiences. Surveys are conducted on campus and via The Princeton Review website, at which students have the option of completing a secure survey online.

“We salute Alma for its outstanding academics, and many other impressive offerings. We recommend it as an ideal choice for students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief.

For more information, visit princetonreview.com.

‘America’s Top Colleges’

Alma was also ranked among “America’s Top Colleges” by Forbes magazine for the 2024-25 academic year. The ranking by Forbes analyzed “outputs” of a college education, weighting alumni salaries at six years and 10 years after graduation the most, representing 20 percent of the overall score.

Forbes also looked at retention rate (10 percent) and academic success (10 percent), as measured by alumni winning prestigious academic scholarships, such as Fulbright and Truman scholarships.

Alma was ranked No. 14 in the state of Michigan and No. 90 in the Midwest. Alma was also ranked No. 118 in liberal arts colleges, No. 247 in private colleges and No. 466 overall.

‘Best Bang for the Buck’

Finally, Alma was ranked highly by the Washington Monthly on its annual “Best Bang for the Buck” rankings. This list ranks schools “according to how well they help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.”

Alma was ranked No. 248 nationally by the Monthly in terms of “Best Bang for the Buck.” Alma was also ranked No. 61 for bachelor’s degree programs.