A Washington, D.C. nonprofit organization’s report on institutional efforts to provide
a strong return on investment of a college education ranked Ferris State University
fourth among 36 Michigan colleges and universities and 118th among 1,320 institutions
nationally.Third Way, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit think tank, has developed an Economic Mobility Index which ranks Ferris State University fourth among three dozen public and private Michigan universities and colleges for offering students a strong return on their educational investment.
Vice President for Student Affairs Jeanine Ward-Roof said Third Way’s report focused its consideration on outcomes for low-to-moderate-income students. These findings were welcome news to Ferris leaders who reviewed the information.
“We believe this indicates that Ferris is capable of great stewardship of the federal and state funds we receive,” Ward-Roof said. “It is also encouraging to have a new perspective on institutional ratings that can help quantify and celebrate our efforts in helping students from all backgrounds to learn and achieve by earning their degree.”
Right Way’s research considered Ferris’ undergraduate enrollment for the 2018-19 academic year, the proportion of those students who received federal Pell Grant support, presented along with the mean earnings for low-income students, and mean salaries for high school graduates. Twelve of Michigan’s fifteen state-funded, four-year universities had lower Economic Mobility Index scores than Ferris and only one of the 21 private, non-profit institutions had a higher EMI score. Ward-Roof said the university has long focused on limiting student debt while offering a well-rounded college experience.
“This very much speaks to Woodbridge Ferris’ mission, ‘to make the world a better place,’ so that through many efforts from across our campus, these opportunities truly are being provided to our students,” Ward-Roof said. “We believe all students benefit from a diverse student body, which includes the interactions and experiences they share, as a campus community.”
Third Way applied their EMI rating system to 1,320 institutions granting bachelor’s degrees, published in late January of this year. Ferris ranked 118th nationally in that report.