Misericordia achieves Top 10 national ranking for four-year graduation rates

Misericordia University achieved a Top 10 national ranking in The Chronicle of Higher Education for having one of the best four-year graduation rates among "primarily residential," four-year private nonprofit institutions of higher education.

Misericordia placed ninth in the nation with a 71.2% graduation rate, with Johns Hopkins University topping the list with an 87.1% graduation rate, followed by Cornell and Northwestern universities at 85.5% and 84.3%. The University of San Diego completed the Top 10 listing with a 69.5% four-year graduation rate.

Overall, Misericordia University's bachelor's degree seeking cohort from 2017 placed among the best in the nation in completing their degrees, with the closest regional college placing 68^th overall. The publication utilized data from 2017 because it is the latest available information for graduation rates.

According to the Aug. 11 article, institutions of higher education routinely refer to six-year graduation rates, but four-year graduation rates reflect substantial savings for students and their families with fewer years of tuition and additional years in earning power for graduates.

"Misericordia is a Mercy institution in mission and action,'' said Thomas J. Botzman, Ph.D., president of Misericordia University. "We have a time-honored tradition of providing caring, motivated students with the attention they deserve and the opportunities they need to succeed.

"From admission through graduation, we have a series of strategic steps that ensures our students receive the appropriate support and challenging academics necessary for productive personal and professional lives. The informal interactions and expectations at our institution are underpinned with a student-focused attitude and help us to react quickly to an individual student's needs and help them persist to graduation,'' President Botzman added.

The data compiled by The Chronicle for its report reflects the cohort that entered college for the fall semester in 2011 and completed bachelor's or equivalent degrees at the same college or university by Aug. 31, 2015. In addition, the "primarily residential'' classification in which Misericordia finds itself in, refers to campus communities with 25% to 49% of undergraduates living on campus and at least 50% attending full time, according to the publication.

"The fact that Misericordia does such a good job in graduating students within four years means that students and their families do not have to shoulder unnecessary expenses that would be required for additional semesters or years,'' said David B. Rehm, Ph.D., vice president of academic affairs at Misericordia University. "Overall, students and parents can have confidence that Misericordia is being faithful in its mission to serve our families.''

To view the complete list, please log on to https://www.chronicle.com/article/ Colleges-With-the-Highest-and/246925.