University of West Alabama Ranked Best Rural College in America

Two small colleges in Alabama are making big news today. The University of West Alabama has been named the nation's No. 1 college for rural America in a new national ranking by Washington Monthly. Jacksonville State University in northeast Alabama ranks 58th, still ranking well in the Top 100 List. UWA is a campus of 6,800 students located in Livingston, a city of just over 4,600 in Sumter County. It does not have a high profile outside of Alabama, but Washington Monthly may help give it one with its first "Best Colleges for Rural America" ranking. 53 percent of the student body is on a Pell Grant, with 83% of the population coming from within the state. Another Alabama university on the list is Jacksonville State University, which has a total student body of more than 10,000. It is a growing university in a rural area of Calhoun County. Nearly 45% of the JSU student body are first-generation college students, 43% are Pell Grant recipients, and 73% are from within Alabama. Get our free mobile app Founded in 1969, Washington Monthly is an American political and public policy magazine. It also has a distinctive approach to ranking colleges based on public service, social mobility and value for taxpayers and students. The most prominent college ranking comes from U.S. News, which bases its ratings on prestige and selectivity. Washington Monthly bases its rankings on value to society, what the institution does to help ordinary Americans succeed and contribute back to their communities. "To get on the list, colleges must be located in rural areas and not be highly selective in their admissions policies. To do well on the list, they need to recruit and graduate large numbers of in-state students of modest means with degrees that earn higher salaries than would be predicted given the students' demographics," The publication described the ranking in this month's edition. "Colleges get extra credit if they grant large numbers of degrees in fields that are in high demand but low supply in rural areas — like teaching, nursing, engineering, agriculture, and natural resources management — and if their graduates stay in the state rather than taking their skills, and the tax dollars that paid for them, elsewhere." UWA ranked No. 1 overall and also led the nation in two key measures: earnings performance and the percentage of graduates earning degrees in high-demand fields in rural areas, at 65%. JSU graduates earn a median four-year income of $55,318, which places them in the 33rd percentile. Graduates earning degrees in fields in high demand in rural areas make up 27%. "This recognition validates something we know to be true about UWA: our location in rural West Alabama does not limit our impact — it helps define our purpose," UWA President Dr. Todd G. Fritch said in the school's press release. "At UWA, we understand the communities we serve, and we are intentional about creating opportunities that help our students succeed while strengthening the places they call home. To see UWA at the top of a national ranking built around measurable outcomes is an extraordinary affirmation of the work our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners are doing every day." In its ranking, Washington Monthly pointed out that 65% of UWA students graduate in fields identified as being in high demand in rural areas, including education, health professions, agriculture, natural resources, engineering, public administration and social services. That percentage placed UWA first nationally in the category. The new rating follows a prestigious designation last year for UWA by the Carnegie Foundation as an Opportunity College and University. That designation recognizes institutions that provide broad access to higher education while their graduates achieve earnings outcomes that exceed those of comparable institutions. Four years after graduation, UWA alumni have median annual earnings of $64,122 — $26,561 more than the publication's predicted earnings based on student demographics. The top 10 rural colleges as measured by Washington Monthly are: 1. University of West Alabama (AL) 2. Sul Ross State University (TX) 3. Georgia Southwestern State University (GA) 4. University of the Cumberlands (KY) 5. Texas A&M Kingsville (TX) 6. Southeastern Oklahoma State University (OK) 7. Northeastern State University (OK) 8. Cal Poly Humboldt (CA) 9. SUNY Potsdam (NY) 10. University of Nebraska-Kearney (NE)