Champlain Lands "Most Innovative School in North" Honor Four Years in a Row by U.S. News 2019 'Best Colleges'

Annual higher education rankings once again reflect Champlain's innovative approach to teaching and experiential learning.

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BURLINGTON, VT (09/18/2018) Champlain College has been named a "Most Innovative School" in the North for the fourth year in a row by U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" 2019 publication. Champlain is also a top 100 Regional University in the North, as well as "One of the Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs," and "Best Value Schools."

"Champlain's student-centered, nimble model is wholly distinctive," says Laurie Quinn, Champlain College Provost & Senior Vice President for Academics.

Burton Snowboards CEO Donna Carpenter agrees: "Champlain grads have an entrepreneurial spirit. They're innovative. They're risk-takers. But above all, they learn by doing. That's not the typical approach of most colleges."

Quinn explains the innovative approach that prepares Champlain students so well for their future. "We integrate cutting-edge and career-focused majors with a rigorous Core curriculum that fosters lifelong learning," she says. "Plus, our co-curricular emphasis on personal finance and career positioning is invaluable to our students. Taken as a whole, a Champlain education enables our graduates to step confidently into their chosen field."

"The Most Innovative" designation applies to colleges or universities that are making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities, according to Robert Morse, Chief Data Strategist for U.S. News.

New this year, Champlain was included in the "Best Value Schools" list that takes into account a school's academic quality, as indicated by its 2019 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2017-2018 net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.

Champlain continues to win honors in national college guides. Champlain College is included in the Princeton Review's "The Best 384 Colleges: 2019 Edition," and featured in the "2019 Fiske Guide to Colleges" as one of the "best and most interesting schools" in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, and is a 2019 College of Distinction for "Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Community, and Successful Outcomes."

Kristi Jovell, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment, says, "Rankings are just one of several ways to evaluate a school's offerings. Career outcomes are an important measure as well and Champlain's remain truly exceptional: 94% of the Class of 2017 are employed or continuing their education just six months after graduating. Our students stand out when they graduate: their résumés and LinkedIn profiles are packed with experience and invaluable skills. Employers seek them out even before they graduate."

Since 1878, Champlain College has provided a career-focused education to students from its hilltop campus in Burlington, Vermont. Champlain offers a traditional undergraduate experience with degrees in fields that range from Cybersecurity to Professional Writing. Champlain undergraduates can study abroad at its campuses in Montreal, Quebec, and Dublin, Ireland, or across the globe through international partnerships, and more than half have a global internship or study experience. Champlain College Online delivers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates in high-growth fields.

Fall Open Houses and Campus Visits
Students and families interested in Champlain can learn more about the College by coming for an individual visit or attending one of our Fall Open Houses on October 13 and October 27. For more information about registering for one of the Open Houses or to arrange a visit, go to champlain.edu/visit. When a student attends one of our events, they qualify for Champlain's Visit Scholarship, a program through which they can earn up to $4,000 in scholarships over the course of their four years as a Champlain student.

The U.S. News & World Report 2019 "America's Best Colleges" represents a comprehensive look at how more than 1,400 accredited four-year colleges compare on a set of 16 widely accepted indicators of excellence. Among the many factors weighed in determining the rankings, the key measures of quality are outcomes, peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student excellence, financial resources, alumni giving, and social mobility.

The new edition is available online now and will be on newsstands later this month. More details are available at www.usnews.com/education.