University recognized in 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings

CLEVELAND (October 4, 2021) – Cleveland State University is again the best public university in Ohio for helping economically disadvantaged students graduate, start careers and get ahead financially, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The magazine’s 2022 Best Colleges rankings rate CSU #1 among the state’s public universities and 127^th nationally for social mobility.

Economically disadvantaged students are less likely to reach graduation without direct support from universities like CSU that are uniquely committed to student progression and graduation. CSU continues to be a national leader in providing tailored programs and coaching to those most in need.

“A college education is still our best weapon to reduce societal wealth disparities. It changes family trajectories and helps our community prosper,” said CSU president Harlan Sands. “This is what we do best as an urban, public university – provide a top-quality education that is accessible, affordable and student-focused.”

According to Sands, the university continues to expand its efforts to recruit and support students from Cleveland. This fall the university saw a 40% increase in the number of new freshmen who graduated from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).

The university credits several specific programs for driving its continuing efforts to student recruitment and progression:

• The Say Yes to Education Cleveland program, which provides full tuition scholarships for students who are both City of Cleveland residents and CMSD students.
   
• CSU’s Parker-Hannifin Living Learning Community, a unique program that provides free room and board to 110 students in a supportive residential community of scholars with comprehensive wraparound services and graduation coaches.
• A new Summer Bridge Program Enrichment Academy that provides a free 3-week residential experience before freshman year to help incoming students and their families successfully transition from high school to college.

Now in its 37^th year, the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 of the country’s four-year colleges and universities according to their performance across a set of indicators of excellence.