McPHERSON, Kan. — For the 10th consecutive year, McPherson College has earned recognition by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-26 Best Colleges list for Regional Colleges in the Midwest. This year, the college ranked within the top 20 on the list. Additionally, McPherson College was ranked on the Best Value Schools and Top Performers on Social Mobility lists.
Only schools in or near the top half of their categories are included on the Best Value Schools list. When evaluating colleges for this list, U.S. News & World Report considers the most significant value among colleges that are above average academically, taking into account both academic quality and cost.
McPherson College was also recognized among colleges that are successful in advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of students who are awarded Pell Grants. McPherson College performed well on the U.S. News’ social mobility ranking factors, which included borrower debt and college graduates’ earnings in addition to Pell Grants.
“It is an honor to be included on such a well-respected list,” President Michael Schneider said. “It’s further proof that McPherson College is being recognized for the work being done by our faculty and staff to ensure quality education, excellent student experience, and value.”
Initiatives such as the college’s Student Debt Project, designed to help students graduate with little or no debt, and the college’s impressive career placement rate are just a few examples of why McPherson College is recognized on the Best Colleges list, according to President Schneider.
“We have some of the highest placement rates in the country, with nearly three-fourths of our graduates having jobs or graduate school placement before they even graduate,” President Schneider said. “Combined with our focus on eliminating student debt, we are proving to students and families that a McPherson College education is the best choice, and our campus improvements are putting the needs of our students first to create a living and learning environment for the 21st century.”
McPherson College began the academic year by opening the Campus Commons, a 55,000-square-foot hub for student services on campus. The new building is part of the college’s larger expansion effort, which has seen campus size increase by 20%. Nearly half of all existing campus buildings have been renovated, including all student residence halls, as well as the Holman Fieldhouse, home of Bulldog athletics; Melhorn Hall’s science labs; Mohler Hall’s classrooms; and computer labs across campus.
The U.S. News & World Report has been ranking colleges for over 40 years. U.S. News measures academic quality using 17 metrics, with the most weight placed on outcomes, including not only the college’s ability to retain and graduate students from different socioeconomic backgrounds but also graduates’ average indebtedness. Class size, undergraduate academic reputation, and colleges’ investment in instruction and student services are among the other data points collected to develop this year’s rankings.
ABOUT McPHERSON COLLEGE
McPherson College’s mission is to “develop whole persons through scholarship, participation, and service” within a career-focused liberal arts environment. In 2023, the college secured an unprecedented $1B commitment to its endowment, marking one of the largest single endowment commitments of any small liberal arts college in the U.S. Nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, and the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For,” McPherson College is renowned for its innovative programs. Its Automotive Restoration program, the first four-year degree program of its kind, made history when a student-restored Mercedes-Benz 300 S earned a class award at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – the first time a student-restored car received such an honor at the prestigious Concours. Learn about all of its programs at www.mcpherson.edu.
