Colby-Sawyer College has once again been recognized for the quality and dedication of its faculty, earning its second No. 1 ranking in three years in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Undergraduate Teaching category.

The Best Undergraduate Teaching ranking, released today as part of the report’s 2024 Best Colleges issue, recognizes schools where faculty and administrators have “an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching,” according to U.S. News. Colby-Sawyer earned its first ever No. 1 ranking — in both the category and the overall report — in 2022, and was ranked second in the category last year.

U.S. News also ranked Colby-Sawyer fourth in its Best Value Schools category, a ranking that considers the academic quality of an institution as well as its cost, and a No. 12 ranking in its Best Regional Colleges North list.

“We are pleased to once again be recognized by U.S. News as one of the top institutions in the region,” Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner said. “I am especially proud of our top ranking in the Undergraduate Teaching category. Colby-Sawyer faculty are gifted scholars who dedicate their time and talent in support of each student’s success. In addition, the college’s inclusion as a Best Value School affirms the institution’s commitment to providing a transformative educational experience at an affordable price.”

According to U.S. News, the Best Undergraduate Teaching ranking is calculated using the results of peer assessment surveys submitted by college presidents, provosts and admissions deans. Participants were asked to nominate up to 15 schools within their own Best Colleges ranking category, and rankings were determined based on the number of nominations received.

Colby-Sawyer employs 57 faculty members within its three academic schools: the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business & Social Sciences and the School of Nursing & Health Sciences. Through meaningful connection with students and innovative, experiential teaching in classrooms and field experiences, Colby-Sawyer faculty members share both their expertise in their fields and their passion for their disciplines.

“This ranking testifies to Colby-Sawyer’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student success,” Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculty Eden Wales Freedman said. “The recognition reflects the dedication and expertise of our tremendous faculty, who strive daily to inspire and empower our students on their educational journeys. At Colby-Sawyer, we understand that exceptional teaching transcends merely imparting knowledge — it transforms lives, ignites passions and, in alignment with our mission, prepares students to thrive in, and make a positive impact upon, a dynamic, diverse and interdependent world.”

Colby-Sawyer, which announced last fall it would reduce the cost of its published tuition by nearly 62% ahead of the 2023-2024 academic year, is ranked fourth in the report’s Best Value Schools category. According to U.S. News, rankings are determined using several considerations, including academic quality relative to the average price paid by full-time undergraduates receiving need-based grants.

Colby-Sawyer earned a 12th-place ranking in the report’s Best Regional Colleges list, placing it ahead of 37 similarly sized institutions from Delaware to Maine. The category ranks both public and private institutions focused on undergraduate education that grant fewer than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. Of the 11 schools to place ahead of Colby-Sawyer in the category, seven are publicly funded.

U.S. News updated its methodology for calculating the ranking for the 2024 Best Colleges issues, increasing focus on the success of colleges and universities in graduating students from different backgrounds and removing other factors such as alumni giving, faculty with terminal degrees, class size and high-school standing.