Ursinus Named College of Distinction

Colleges of Distinction, a one-of-a-kind guide for college-bound students, recognizes institutions whose primary goals are based on student success and satisfaction. The publication has long supported colleges “whose student-centered education prevails in applying theory to practice while fostering a dynamic learning community.”

Rather than rely on a rankings system, Colleges of Distinction’s selection process comprises a sequence of in-depth research and detailed interviews with the schools about each institution’s first-year experience and retention efforts alongside its general education programs, career development, strategic plan, student satisfaction, and more. It recognizes those that adhere to four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community, and successful outcomes.

Ursinus’s nationally recognized Common Intellectual Experience and Quest: Open Questions Open Minds core curriculum is often lauded as a standard of excellence among national liberal arts colleges. And over the past three years, Ursinus has been honored regionally for its Innovation and Discovery Center—in which students learn at the cross-section of academic disciplines—and its Schellhase Commons, a new community gateway.

“We are honored to be acknowledged as a College of Distinction because we have long prided ourselves on our unique learning environment and collaborative community involvement that allows our students to not only succeed during their four years here, but flourish after they graduate,” Vice President and Dean of Enrollment Management and Marketing Shannon Zottola said.

Colleges of Distinction prioritizes the ways that institutions enable students to have a fulfilling, individualized college experience, and member schools within the consortium distinguish themselves through their dedicated focus on the undergraduate experience.