College of Mount Saint Vincent Ranks Third Nationally in Student Economic Mobility
1/29/2017
Riverdale, N.Y. – According to a comprehensive new study on student economic mobility by UC Berkeley and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the College of Mount Saint Vincent shares third place among 578 selective independent colleges and universities nationwide. Mount students experience greater upward mobility than those of all but two colleges and universities across the country.
Using data from millions of anonymous tax filings and tuition records from 1999-2013, the college mobility ranking measures Mount Saint Vincent’s share of students who moved from the bottom fifth of incomes as students to the top fifth as adults.
The New York Times highlighted the study in an in-depth analysis of student access to higher education. According to the Times, the study found that lower income students who attend elite colleges do almost as well as their wealthier counterparts, but access to elite colleges has declined. In short, not many students from financially modest backgrounds attend independent or state schools that serve their mostly advantaged peers. In contrast, the study noted that schools including Mount Saint Vincent have become “vastly larger engines of social mobility” for underprivileged students.
The study rates Mount Saint Vincent as one of the nation’s top colleges in providing exceptional access to students that leads to significant income growth in their post-graduate careers. Importantly, these success rates are equal to or greater than those for students who attend state schools.
“This study reflects what the University of Mount Saint Vincent has been doing since our inception—providing life-changing opportunities for students across the economic spectrum,” said Mount President Charles L. Flynn, Jr. “We are very proud that the University of Mount Saint Vincent is true to the traditions of high quality, transformative education: academic excellence, authentic inclusivity, and ceiling-breaking opportunity.”
He continued, “Our college reflects the Catholic tradition. All are welcome. Whatever our students’ backgrounds—financially advantaged or financially modest, first-generation or the great grandchildren of alums, Catholic or of some other faith—the Mount transforms lives. We continue to lay the foundation of the American Dream.”
This is not the first time the Mount has stood out as an exceptional institution.
The College was recognized in Washington Monthly’s The Other College Guide’s 2015 “Best Bang for the Buck” category based on net price. Washington Monthly has also ranked the College #26 for social mobility among the best 255 liberal arts colleges nationwide.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of professional accomplishment, service, and leadership in the 21st century.