Allegheny College Places in Top 10 Percent in Index That Measures Graduates’ Employability

Oct. 16, 2015 – Allegheny College ranks in the top 10 percent of almost 1,200 four-year colleges in an index released by the nonprofit Educate To Career, which measures economic value delivered to graduates.

ETC defines economic value as the improvement in earnings and employability of graduates measured against the total cost of the education. The rankings are calculated by measuring such factors as percentage of graduates employed in occupations that utilize their field of study, average salary earned by recent graduates, percentage of graduates employed within one year of graduation and number of years to graduate.

“Many brand-name colleges are better at picking winners than they are at creating them,” said ETC president and founder Michael R. Havis, “whereas our system rates colleges based upon their demonstrated ability to improve the earnings and employability of students.”

Ninety-three percent of Allegheny graduates are employed within six months of graduation. Top fields for graduates include careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; business; healthcare; and education.

“An Allegheny education is less about what to think and more about how to think and how to apply the writing, speaking and problem-solving skills you gain at Allegheny to new challenges and circumstances,” said Terrence Bensel, associate provost and director of the Allegheny Gateway. “It’s no wonder that our students do so well after graduation.”

The ETC rankings are the most recent in a number of accolades for Allegheny College.

  • In September, U.S. News & World Report recognized Allegheny as one of the 12 most innovative liberal arts colleges in the nation. In addition, Allegheny advanced from #81 last year to #72 this year in the college guide’s rankings of the best national liberal arts colleges.
  • In August Allegheny was named for the third consecutive year to the Top 25 in the Best Liberal Arts Colleges category of Washington Monthly’s college rankings.
  • The Princeton Review features Allegheny in the 2016 edition of its annual college guide “The Best 380 Colleges.” In addition, Allegheny was one of only 24 schools to receive a score of 99, the highest possible score, in the guidebook’s Green Honor Roll, which celebrates the most environmentally friendly colleges in the nation.
  • Allegheny is one of 200 schools that the Princeton Review profiles in “Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Best Value Colleges and What It Takes to Get In – 2015 Edition,” which bases its ratings on data points such as academics, cost, financial aid, student debt, graduation rates, alumni salaries and job satisfaction.
  • The Peace Corps recognizes Allegheny College as No. 8 among small schools in the number of its alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers. Teach for America recognizes Allegheny as No. 9 among small schools in contributing the greatest number of alumni to its 2015 teaching corps.