Rollins Recognized Among Nation’s Best Master’s Programs

Rollins’ graduate programs are among the top 75 out of nearly 1,500 schools in the country for 2023 by Washington Monthly, a nonprofit magazine known for its annual ranking of American colleges and universities based on their contributions to the nation.

To establish the initial set of colleges, the ranking organization initially examined the 1,586 colleges listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) across all 50 states. They confirmed that these institutions have a 2021 Carnegie basic classification of doctoral, master’s, and baccalaureate colleges, and met criteria like not being exclusively graduate colleges and participating in federal financial aid programs.

Institutions with fewer than 100 undergraduate students in any year between fall 2019 and fall 2021 were eliminated, as well as colleges with too few students and schools with a low average of Pell Grant recipients. By eliminating federal military academies and schools without data on key social mobility outcomes, the final ranking came out to 1,487 colleges, including public, private nonprofit, and for-profit colleges. The ranking then focused on each school’s contribution to the public good via three categories: social mobility, research, and promoting community and national public service.

The social mobility component considers graduation rates, Pell Grant recipient rates—reflecting a college's commitment to serving lower-income students—diversity commitment, affordability, and post-college outcomes. The research score uses criteria such as the institution’s research spending, the proportion of undergraduate alumni who earn a PhD, and the ratio of faculty receiving prestigious awards. The community service component involves assessing, among other factors, the percentage of degrees awarded in health, education, and social work, thus promoting colleges that contribute to socially valuable fields.

Rollins’ recognition in the top 75 graduate studies programs underscores the College’s commitment to lifelong learning and to producing graduates who lead meaningful, impactful lives. Through Rollins’ range of master’s degree programs, which include teaching, public health, human resources, applied behavior analysis, clinical mental health counseling, strategic communication, and liberal studies, students not only develop the expertise to advance in their profession but also gain the knowledge and experience to create lasting change in their community.