“We are honored to once again be recognized by U.S. News & World Report, particularly in the areas of Best Value and Social Mobility,” said 91ֱ�� President Dr. Lauren Schellenberger. “These rankings affirm our deep commitment to providing an accessible, high-impact education. Our focus on experiential learning ensures that students graduate with the practical skills and knowledge necessary to launch successful careers and lead meaningful lives.”

In the 2026 rankings for Regional Colleges in the Midwest, Culver-Stockton ranked No. 9 for Best Value, No. 8 (tied) for Top Performers on Social Mobility, and No. 28 (tied) overall.

About the Rankings

The Top Performers on Social Mobility ranking measures how successful colleges are at enrolling and graduating large proportions of economically disadvantaged students. U.S. News & World Report evaluates this based on students awarded federal Pell Grants, the majority of which go to those with adjusted gross family incomes under $50,000.

The Best Value ranking is calculated by considering a school’s academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student receiving the average level of need-based financial aid. According to U.S. News, the higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the value. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included in the Best Value list.

U.S. News & World Report evaluates institutions on multiple criteria, including graduation and retention rates, social mobility, faculty resources, financial resources, student excellence, and alumni giving.

C-SC moves up nine spots in the Midwest Region from last year’s ranking. The Midwest Region consists of schools from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Culver-Stockton ranked fourth among schools in Missouri, trailing only College of the Ozarks, Cottey College and William Jewell College, and it had the highest ranking of any of the schools which are members of the 13-team Heart of America Athletic Conference.

For the full list, go to .

U.S. News & World Report takes into account both academic quality and cost to determine which colleges and universities offer the best value for students. Only schools ranked in the top half of the 2020 Best Colleges ranking categories — national universities, national liberal arts colleges, regional colleges and regional universities — were considered for the Best Value Schools lists.

Also of note:

• C-SC ranked No. 14 among regional colleges in the Midwest in top performers on social mobility. According to U.S. News & World Report, some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. Most of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are less than $50,000. C-SC was the second-highest ranked school from Missouri on that list. For the full list, go to 
• Culver-Stockton is ranked No. 33 among Best Colleges in the Midwest Region. C-SC moves up six spots in the Midwest Region, and it was ranked fourth among colleges in Missouri. C-SC has been ranked in the top 40 among Best Colleges in the Midwest Region 12 times in the past 13 years. The highest ranking ever for C-SC in this category was 30^th, which happened in 2010, 2012 and 2017. For the full list, go to .
• Of the 70 schools listed in the Best Colleges in the Midwest Region rankings, C-SC had the highest average alumni giving rate of 22 percent. Only three schools on that list reported that the alumni giving rate was higher than 20 percent.

U.S. News & World Report has been providing nearly 50 different types of numerical rankings of colleges and universities since 1983.

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