U.S. News & World Report continues to rank Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU) as a top institution. Ranked once again as No. 2 for social mobility within the Regional Colleges West ranking, SWAU continues to stand out amongst top performing colleges and universities in the United States.

U.S. News & World Report utilizes 17 factors to compile the rankings. Higher education institutions are organized into 10 distinct rankings based on academic mission. For the past three years, social mobility has been ranked as a distinct category. The indicator measures an institution’s performance in graduating economically disadvantaged students who received federal Pell Grants.

SWAU ranked No. 3 in the inaugural 2020 rankings, No. 2 for 2021, and once again ranks No. 2 for 2022. Financial support, academic development, and hands-on learning experiences contribute to this ranking.

“Beyond a ranking, social mobility closes the gap of inequity by providing resources, access and support for students to thrive,” shares Ana Patterson, Southwestern Adventist University president. “One example of SWAU’s success is that 32 percent of our 2021 graduating class identified as being the first in their family to graduate from college. That is a statistic to be proud of!”

To learn more about how SWAU supports students regardless of their background or experience, watch this video, which provides further information about the SWAU experience and about how the Office of Student Success is improving academic and career success for students pursing a successful future.

— Tim Kosaka is director of marketing and public relations at Southwestern Adventist University.