LC State continues climb in U.S. News & World Report rankings

LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College continues its climb in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of best colleges, which was published on Tuesday. LC State was ranked No. 8 in the Top Public Schools – West Region category, which includes public colleges in the West and Southwest.

The Lewiston school was ranked No. 9 in 2023 and No. 10 in 2022. 

“From our enrollment, to our rankings, to our new graduate and healthcare programs, to the energy and buzz on campus and throughout the state, Lewis-Clark State is on the rise,” LC State President Cynthia Pemberton said. “We’re proud to again be ranked as a top public college, offering students a small private school experience at an affordable public school price.”

LC State offers the lowest tuition among Idaho’s public four-year institutions and has an enrollment of around 3,800 students. LC State was one of nearly 1,500 colleges and universities included in the rankings, which started in 1983. 

For the fourth straight year, LC State ranked high in social mobility – No. 43 among colleges in the West. The organization defines social mobility as successfully enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The organization states that economically disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college thus social mobility helps these students earn their degree. Nearly 50% of LC State students are Pell eligible. 

Out of 104 regional colleges in the West, including public and private, LC State was ranked No. 27 overall. 

U.S. News & World Report’s annual best college rankings are put together to provide data-driven information and guidance to help prospective students and their families understand higher education options. 

According to the organization, the rankings are determined by 17 criteria factors including: graduation rates, first-year retention rates, graduation rate performance, Pell graduation rates, Pell graduation performance, college grads earning more than a high school grad, borrower debt, peer assessment, financial resources, and student-faculty ratio.