Holy Cross made history in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 list of best liberal arts colleges in the country, ranking No. 22 – the highest in College history. Holy Cross remains the highest-ranked Catholic liberal arts college in the nation.
“I’m proud to share this accomplishment with our community of world-class scholars, devoted staff members and passionate students and alumni – and even prouder of how we got there,” said President Vincent D. Rougeau. “We’ve embraced our distinctive Catholic, Jesuit identity and core mission, and we’ve advanced that mission. We’ve continued to focus on delivering academic excellence and a transformational student experience. We’ve built upon the high intellectual and ethical standards that have guided us since the College’s founding in 1843 – and recognition has followed.”
This recognition achieves a goal set by the board of trustees and a vision put forward by President Rougeau when he arrived in 2021. Over the past five years, the College has focused on clarifying and communicating mission, strengthening demand and selectivity, building financial capacity, expanding access, and deepening leadership and shared governance across the institution. One specific area where the College has excelled is the Pell Graduation Rate: Over the past two years, the College’s Pell Grant graduation rate is 90%.
Holy Cross also recently placed 45th on TIME’s inaugural list of the nation’s best colleges and universities, putting the College in good company, alongside Duke University (40), Johns Hopkins (41) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (44). While many rankings – including U.S. News – split liberal arts colleges from large research institutions, TIME ranked every institution together. TIME said its list rewarded colleges that excel at student outcomes, learning environment and attractiveness to students.
“A ranking is not how we measure ourselves. But it does tell us that others are seeing what this community has been building. At a time when many colleges are struggling to meet their enrollment goals, demand for a Holy Cross education is higher than it has ever been. In recent years, we’ve seen record numbers of applications and a higher percentage of accepted students choosing Holy Cross than ever before,” President Rougeau said. “We aspire to even greater heights in the future, securing Holy Cross’s place among the finest liberal arts colleges in the world.”
