Measured against colleges and universities nationwide in The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education rankings, Fairfield placed in the top 25%, ranked among the top 200, and received high marks in the engagement and outcomes categories.
Fairfield University has again ranked well in The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education (THE) annual college ranking. Measured against colleges and universities nationwide, Fairfield placed in the top quartile, ranked among the top 200 and placed high in two particular categories — earning the 92-spot in the engagement category, and placing in the top 20% of schools for outcomes.
Fairfield’s quality was demonstrated in the student survey results which inform the 2020 ranking and reflect a strong sense of commitment and value among those who attend Fairfield. On a scale of 1 to 10, Fairfield students' answers ranked among the highest in the country when asked whether they would still choose to attend Fairfield if they could start their college selection process over (8.9 out of 10); whether they felt Fairfield provided an environment where they felt surrounded by exceptional students who “inspire” and “motivate” them (8.7), and whether a Fairfield education is worth the cost of tuition (8.5). Notably, Fairfield was the top-ranked Jesuit institution in all three of these categories.
In addition to student survey results, colleges and universities are also graded on performance indicators such as resources, which measures an institution’s capacity to provide proper and necessary facilities, support, and teaching, and accounts for 30 percent of a school’s score; engagement, which measures a college’s ability to “inform, inspire, and challenge” its students, accounting for 20 percent of a school’s score; outcomes, which measures a college’s “record on delivering successful outcomes for their students,” and accounts for 40 percent of a school’s score; and environment, which considers whether or not a college provides a “diverse, supportive, and inclusive” environment for all students, accounting for 10 percent of a school’s overall ranking.
Other metrics considered in the ranking include a consideration of debt after graduation, as well as graduation rate. Data informing the rankings comes from sources including the U.S. government (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS); the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA); the College Scorecard, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA); the THE U.S. Student Survey; the THE Academic Survey; and the Elsevier bibliometric dataset.
For more information on Fairfield rankings, visit fairfield.edu/rankings.
