Monmouth College ranked No. 2 for best value in Midwest by U.S. News and World Report

School also ranked No. 15 among region's 'Top Private Colleges'

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (09/22/2026) — Among the nearly 100 regional colleges in the Midwest, Monmouth College provides the second-best value, according to this year's rankings by U.S. News and World Report, which were announced today. The college was also ranked No. 15 in the Midwest among "Top Private Colleges."

U.S. News & World Report calculates its regional colleges rankings using up to 13 academic indicators of undergraduate quality, including student outcomes, peer assessment and faculty resources.

"Our students are the reason behind everything we do," said Monmouth President Patricia Draves. "It's our mission to help them realize their full potential, to live meaningful lives, to pursue successful careers and to shape their communities through service and leadership. We've done that at Monmouth for nearly 175 years, and we'll continue doing that regardless of our rankings. But to be viewed as doing that while providing a great value to our students and their families is a very welcome feather in our caps."

The value rankings didn't even take into account the college's brand new Scots Pledge, which makes a Monmouth education even more affordable for qualifying Illinois students by covering the full cost of tuition through a combination of federal, state and Monmouth financial aid.

Added Draves: "Monmouth is also proud of its 15th-place ranking among 'Top Private Colleges' and the No. 28 ranking in 'Top Performers in Social Mobility,'" which measures how successfully colleges enroll and graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants.

Draves addressed college affordability, in general, at a Monmouth Associates gathering last week. While citing four major challenges that schools such as Monmouth are facing, she mentioned changing demographics, but also real and embellished concerns related to the cost of college. However, she said, the short answer to "Is college worth it?" is a resounding "Yes," both in terms of lifelong earnings and overall health and happiness.

Growth at Monmouth

Draves also addressed the happy times that Monmouth is experiencing, which included welcoming the college's largest incoming class in the past decade.

Another area of growth is increasing the already high number of opportunities for students, both on campus and off.

"Our students are thriving thanks to opportunities," she told the Associates gathering, which included several area business and civic leaders. "We're going to call on you for more connections to serve our students. It means more to our students to know they can make a difference in the community."

She continued: "At least 70% of our students are interning within their four years and hundreds are doing original research and working in fields related to their major. That is thanks to a dedicated community and our alumni and friends. Those opportunities are a key part of the value formula at Monmouth and why our alumni go on to lead very successful professional and personal lives."

New on-campus opportunities include recently added majors in finance and agribusiness management, as well as three new concentrations in computer science - cybersecurity, applied artificial intelligence and web development.

What makes Monmouth distinctive

Recently, Monmouth launched a new "Students ready for success" brand that helps highlight some of the many ways that the college provides value. Its pillars include Monmouth's caring community, opportunities to grow through experience, and belonging that lasts.

From the moment students arrive for their first year on campus, they can begin - there's no waiting in the wings. That includes athletics, a connection to Monmouth for 65% of this year's incoming students. Those opportunities with the Fighting Scots' 20 varsity teams teach important life skills such as leadership, teamwork, resiliency and communication.

There are also plenty of opportunities for undergraduate research, and that hands-on, experiential learning builds confidence in Monmouth's students, who also have distinctive opportunities through such avenues as the annual moot court competition, unique rural teacher collaboratives, and outstanding tools in the physics and engineering program, including a 3D metal printer, a CNC machine (computer numeric control) and a nuclear lab equipped with a neutron generator.

"Monmouth is like a menu of overlapping programs, and we work together to build the best pathway for each student," said chemistry professor Audra Goach, chair of the college's School of Health and Natural Sciences. "What's different about Monmouth is how truly individual the education is for each and every student."

The college's small size allows faculty to help tailor the opportunities available to a student's interests and abilities. That one-on-one attention helps students feel known by name, by story and by strengths as faculty help them see potential they hadn't recognized in themselves.

"Because we know our students well, we can spot opportunities that fit them," said Chris Fasano, chair of the college's School of Engineering, Sciences and Innovation. "When a Department of Energy project at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory came up, we were able to identify three students who would benefit most, and we knew that because we knew them."

In short, students leave Monmouth incredibly well prepared for their next chapters. And there's certainly value in that.

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