Pomona College Named Best College in America

Forget Princeton, Yale and Harvard.

Pomona College was named today the nation’s top college by Forbes magazine.

The liberal arts college moved up from eighth place last year, and bested its second-place finish from 2013.

“Pomona emphasizes interaction between students and faculty,” according to Forbes. “The school boasts an 8:1 student-faculty ratio, and 68 percent of faculty members invited students to their homes in the past academic year.”

The Forbes ratings were based on a return-on-investment scale “with points for low debt, high graduation rates, student satisfaction and career success,” according to the school.

Forbes cited the “growing number of colleges and universities (that) are now focusing on student-consumer value over marketing prestige.”

The magazine also hailed the college for its study-abroad programs that include 34 countries, and more than 220 student organizations.

It also noted that 57 percent of freshmen receive grants, averaging almost $40,000, and nearly all students live on campus.

Pomona College is part of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five undergraduate liberal arts colleges and two graduate institutions in the city of Claremont in the San Gabriel Valley.

Following Pomona College on the list were Williams College, Stanford University, Princeton University, Yale University, Harvard University, Swarthmore College, Brown University, Amherst College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

--City News Service; Photo via Pomona College