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Each year, annual releases of college rankings by organizations such as the Princeton Review, U.S. News and World Report, and the Wall Street Journal can provide evidence of a school’s performance relative to its peers. In most cases, however, changes from one year to another are largely incremental, making it difficult to recognize longer-term trends in a college’s institutional reputation. A broader view may serve to be more informative.
Consider Lycoming’s position in the following rankings currently and several years prior:
| Publication |
Current Ranking |
Prior Ranking |
| Princeton Review |
Best 386 National Colleges |
Regional College |
| U.S. News and World Report |
No. 120 |
No. 164 (2016) |
| Washington Monthly |
No. 61 |
No. 184 (2016) |
| Wall Street Journal |
No. 296 |
No. 444 (2017) |
Taken in this context, it is clear that Lycoming is competing for students with a higher tier of colleges than it was just five years ago. Investments in academic programming, the physical plant, and scholarships and financial aid made possible by the success of The Campaign for a Greater Lycoming have fueled the institution’s ascendency. Continued investment, even during these challenging times, will be critical to Lycoming’s ability to maintain its current trajectory.