U.S. News & World Report lists Elon as the nation’s only university recognized for excellence in all eight academic programs that lead to student success.
College presidents and top higher education administrators across the nation nominated Elon more often than any other university in the annual U.S. News & World Report feature on academic “Programs to Look For.” The report was released Sept. 13 as part of the U.S News 2017 “America’s Best Colleges” rankings. Elon is ranked #1 among 140 Southern universities and #1 for undergraduate teaching and innovation.
For the past 14 years, U.S. News has asked college executives, chief academic officers and deans to name schools that are outstanding on eight academic programs that lead to student success. The program categories were identified by education experts, including staff of the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
For the second year, Elon was the only university recognized in all eight categories:
- Study Abroad
- Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects
- Internships/Co-ops
- Learning Communities
- Service Learning
- Writing in the Disciplines
- First-Year Experiences
- Senior Capstone
Other universities recognized in multiple categories included the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor in 7 programs, Stanford University in 6 programs and Duke University in 5 programs.
Elon has a long history of excellence in co-curricular programs, with high participation rates in programs known collectively as the “Elon Experiences.” Participation rates for members of the Class of 2016 are as follows:
- Service: 92%
- Internships: 92%
- Study Abroad: 74% + Study USA: 12%
- Leadership: 47%
- Undergraduate Research: 24%
In addition, Elon has a wide array of living-learning communities in its residential neighborhoods. And Elon’s selection for excellence in writing is the result of a major initiative to promote writing skills for students in all majors.
The undergraduate Core Curriculum includes an interdisciplinary Capstone Seminar to help students integrate and apply what they have learned during their Elon education. More than 40 different seminar topics are offered each academic year.
First-year students at Elon participate in numerous opportunities coordinated through the New Student and Transition Programs and the Core Curriculum includes First-Year Foundations courses that challenge students to think critically, engage globally and communicate effectively.