Annual rankings released today from US News list MNU No.1 for Least Debt incurred by graduates on its Midwest Regional list. The rankings consider graduate indebtedness and the percentage of graduates from the 2019 and 2020 bachelor’s degree graduating classes borrowing Federal loans.
Associate Vice President for Enrollment, Drew Whipple says the rankings show MNU’s commitment to making a degree affordable.
“Through scholarships and work-study, MNU is diligent in bringing a robust financial aid package to students assisting them in affording a university degree,” Whipple says. “For those taking loans, our Pioneer Pledge loan repayment program assists graduates should they have a modest income upon graduation. It helps ease the concern of taking a loan to complete their education.”
Additionally, MNU ranked No. 2 in Kansas for Social Mobility in Regional Universities. The Social Mobility ranking measures how well a school serves lower-income students as measured by the graduation rate and proportion of students receiving federal Pell grants. Schools that score higher on this measure are more effective at meeting the needs of this traditionally underserved population and promoting equity for students of all economic backgrounds.
Donors play a huge role in creating an affordable experience for students. Jon North, vice president for university advancement says donors’ gifts to MNU for student scholarships are vital.
“We are blessed with donors who value quality and Christian higher education,” North says. “Our efforts will always focus on the student experience and providing scholarships to make a degree attainable.”
U.S. News rankings are annual. They surveyed schools in the spring and summer of 2022. Some information published, like schools’ application deadlines and tuition, is for the current 2022-2023 academic year. However, the ranking factors themselves are snapshots of the recent past, reflecting fall 2021 and earlier.
