Berea Named Best Liberal Arts College 2025 by Washington Monthly

CC_Sorin · September 1, 2025, 5:25pm

Washington Monthly recently release its 2025 Best Colleges Ranking and Berea College seems to be the big winner, being named Best Liberal Art College, Best Bang in the Buck in the South, as well as Best College for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges Ranking:

See full list here: 2025 Liberal Arts Colleges Ranking | Washington Monthly

They also rank Best Bang for the Buck colleges, “which help non-wealthy students obtain marketable degrees at affordable prices.”

Northeastern

See full list here: 2025 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: Northeast | Washington Monthly

Southeastern

See full list here: 2025 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: Southeast | Washington Monthly

South

See full list here: 2025 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: South | Washington Monthly

Midwest

See full list here: 2025 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: Midwest | Washington Monthly

West

See full list here: 2025 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: West | Washington Monthly

tsbna44 · August 31, 2025, 1:27pm

Looking from a pure ROI like many do….so taking out debt and other things, here’s the rank by salary (9 years out…that’s what I find difficult to digest; it’s not at graduation). Crazy to me how low the median salaries are - it would be hard for one to survive today with the #s reported at most. Not sure of the data source quality, etc.

Obviously, the pattern again fits with business and/or engineering offerings at the top - but Colby well ahead of Bowdoin and Bates (you normally don’t see that), and VMI quite high.

1	Harvey Mudd College (CA)	123761
2	Claremont McKenna College (CA)	89566
3	Bucknell University ¶	79084
4	College of the Holy Cross (MA)	78396
5	Lafayette College ¶	77718
6	Trinity College (CT)	75086
7	Amherst College (MA)	73845
8	Washington and Lee University (VA)	73321
9	Colgate University (NY)	72767
10	Colby College (ME)	69500
11	Davidson College (NC)	69249
12	Hamilton College (NY)	67454
13	Barnard College (NY)	66992
14	Haverford College ¶	66218
15	Virginia Military Institute (VA)*	65919
16	Williams College (MA)	65891
17	Wellesley College (MA)	64810
18	Linfield University (OR)	64794
19	University of Richmond (VA)	64035
20	Middlebury College (VT)	63541
21	Saint John’s University (MN)	63154
22	Connecticut College (CT)	62690
23	Bowdoin College (ME)	62517
24	Carleton College (MN)	62337
25	Gettysburg College ¶	62325
26	Swarthmore College ¶	62058
27	Scripps College (CA)	61742
28	Franklin and Marshall College ¶	61710
29	Wesleyan University (CT)	61195
30	Bryn Mawr College ¶	60961
31	Occidental College (CA)	60567
32	Muhlenberg College ¶	60263
33	DePauw University (IN)	59458
34	Bates College (ME)	59341
35	Hobart & William Smith Colls. (NY)	59152
36	Univ. of NH–Manchester (NH)*	58746
37	Trinity University (TX)	58712
38	Dickinson College ¶	58636
39	Rhodes College (TN)	57617
40	Pitzer College (CA)	57485
41	Gustavus Adolphus College (MN)	57227
42	St. Lawrence University (NY)	57087
43	Skidmore College (NY)	56957
44	Pomona College (CA)	56872
45	University of Puget Sound (WA)	56032
46	Denison University (OH)	55916
47	Wabash College (IN)	55822
48	Furman University (SC)	55330
49	College of Saint Benedict (MN)	54909
50	Willamette University (OR)	54775
51	Vassar College (NY)	54672
52	Macalester College (MN)	54515
53	Centre College (KY)	54323
54	Saint Mary’s College (IN)	54306
55	St. Olaf College (MN)	54253
56	Wheaton College (IL)	53498
57	Kalamazoo College (MI)	53298
58	Drew University (NJ)	52989
59	Kenyon College (OH)	52842
60	Sewanee–Univ. of the South (TN)	52611
61	Whitman College (WA)	52550
62	St. Mary’s College of MD (MD)*	52255
63	University of Mary Washington (VA)*	51940
64	Albion College (MI)	51707
65	Grinnell College (IA)	51351
66	Spelman College (GA)	50632
67	Smith College (MA)	50312
68	Allegheny College ¶	50257
69	Whittier College (CA)	49927
70	College of Wooster (OH)	49247
71	Ripon College (WI)	48739
72	Mount Holyoke College (MA)	48733
73	Colorado College (CO)	48346
74	Westminster College ¶	47403
75	Reed College (OR)	47189
76	Juniata College ¶	47028
77	Lewis & Clark College (OR)	46518
78	Agnes Scott College (GA)	46103
79	Westminster College (MO)	46048
80	Simpson University (CA)	45642
81	Knox College (IL)	45482
82	Lawrence University (WI)	45408
83	Cornell College (IA)	44312
84	Soka University of America (CA)	44187
85	Goucher College (MD)	43867
86	University of MN–Morris (MN)*	43563
87	Beloit College (WI)	42849
88	Hampshire College (MA)	40007
89	New College of Florida (FL)*	39988
90	Guilford College (NC)	39880
91	Bennington College (VT)	39734
92	Bard College (NY)	39493
93	CUNY Medgar Evers College (NY)*	39258
94	Univ. of NC–Asheville (NC)*	39139
95	Berea College (KY)	36974
96	Salem College (NC)	36871
97	Univ. of Science & Arts of Okla. (OK)*	36573
98	Claflin University (SC)	34192
99	Bethune-Cookman University (FL)	32824
100	Bennett College (NC)	31319

blossom · August 31, 2025, 1:50pm

How is the salary data collected? Self reported? Includes base, bonus, equity? Or just base? Takes into account companies which pay full freight for an employee to get an MBA if they agree to return? Takes into account universities which give employees the down payment on a house if they buy within a certain zip code??? Hospitals which pay for advanced training (i.e. for RN to study for PA or NP?)

tsbna44 · August 31, 2025, 2:01pm

I’m sure it’s buried in here. It’s a long list. As noted, I find the #s hard to believe (9 months out sure but not 9 years out as this data is). I simply sorted them.

One can find fault in any source and I’m sure this one, like many, has it (for example high COLs vs not)…although your last three situations would be uncommon amongst the masses - few today pay an entire mba vs a low amount each year, few pay toward homes and few from an LAC list will be RNs.

It’s crazy to me because my kid two years out on base salary would be #2 (but an engineer) and my May grad working in a community based program top third - but neither school in the study. One lives in a HCOL and I’d say the second one too although not quite as high.

blossom · August 31, 2025, 2:04pm

You are making some nice assumptions without a shred of data.

tsbna44 · August 31, 2025, 2:12pm

I provided the methodology. It’s long. You can read it and decipher it if you choose.

I’m not making any assumptions. It’s not my data.

But the world is lsn’t Wall Street. Most today help pay for an MBA but don’t pay in full. I know many people and I don’t know a single who gets it fully paid. Not anymore. Today, if you get $10K a year toward education, you’re in good shape. It’s one of the benefits employers have cut down over the years.

There are very few organizations vs. society who help pay for a house - and they are likely civil in many cases.

You can choose to think X school is low on the list - but they pay for an MBA or an RN degree - and this data is 9 years out. People live on income; not on 9 years of a fringe benefit that few actually use.

That’s fine - you can choose to believe what you want. I don’t even believe this data…but it is data that was in the chart and I just ranked it.

The study, for what it’s worth, when looking purely at salary, jives with other rankings we’ve recently seen with certain schools at the top. And no doubt there will be more rankings that come.

ECCA2026 · August 31, 2025, 2:57pm

I do wonder how much the salary data are reflective of something about the school and opportunities to make money rather than choices students make that prioritize things other than money. For example, I don’t think of Amherst and Pomona as that different in quality of education or opportunities they would provide most smart and hard working students. Yet, the salary gap is significant in the list you provided. I wonder if, for example more Amherst students are interested in and pursue things like investment banking and consulting, which brings the overall number up more. Or, if more Pomona students are interested in non-profit work or government, bringing the overall number down. I think of this because I went to a highly selective school that was well known for students interested in public interest work, and many of us chose fields/work that pays far less than we could easily make if we were just trying to maximize wealth. Yet I still had classmates who wanted the big money careers, and had no problem getting them.

The key question, which the school level data can’t answer is, if two students with the same skills and interests each went to one of the schools, would their earnings be higher if they attended one vs the other? If one is never going to want to be an engineer or investment banker, the fact that they earn a ton of money and make the school’s alumni average salary higher should be irrelevant to that person. Apples to apples is what we want to know and it is hard to discern that from the generic salary data.

IndySceptic · August 31, 2025, 3:08pm

And my Connecticut underdogs Trinity and Conn College ahead of them too.

Of course the fact that Trinity is at the top of the NESCAC heap here will cause many to discredit this reporting, but my eye is drawn to Berea, which many tout as an educational value investment (can’t beat free). Is it, given the outcomes in this analysis?

tsbna44 · August 31, 2025, 3:08pm

I don’t disagree with your points - certain kids choose certain fields. And there are many who protect the prestigious that show low on the salary rankings - and they seem to do so on most of these rankings, so I’d imagine they pull from the same source and they don’t include all grads of course but grads that can be tracked (maybe based on loan data) - but CC favorite St. Olaf is in the bottom half, as are prestigious Kenyon, Grinnell, Smith, and Colorado.

Then again, there’s always people that will say - well such and such IB person or whatever else went here. Or so and so is in rural such and such and placing people nearby and salaries are less.

I guess my point is - people paying - in today’s $$ - several hundred thousand plus to attend these “prestigious” institutions and the $$ shown are medians - so many are making above - but in the end, no matter a person’s career choice, one still has to pay today’s bills.

And ultimately, i suspect people, just like I did, will gravitate to careers where they can earn a living and sustain themselves if their desired career doesn’t work out (mine didn’t).

I think if parents saw these income figures nine years out, many would hesitate (at least full pay) to invest their money into these schools - alas, colleges wouldn’t knowingly share this data. Of course, some of these schools give kids a financial lifeline - to attend.

I do love how every time there is a new rank or data source people get upset.

People are people - and every individual from every school will have their own story.

But I love the discussion, sometimes with high emotion or a flat out dismissal that comes with any ranking that someone puts out.

btw - this wasn’t the ranking - I simply ranked one metric that was listed on the overall ranking.

blossom · August 31, 2025, 3:10pm

I have been recruiting for 30 plus years at a variety of companies in different industries and have never worked for a company which did not fund an MBA. There are strings attached of course…most notably that the employee return to the company, AND the employee needs to have a BA from an accredited institution already and a “meets plus” rating on three consecutive reviews before applying. So someone who has been with the company 6 weeks or is on a PIP is not eligible.

Slavery was outlawed of course…so a company cannot compel an employee to return. BUT …the transaction is typically an interest free loan which is forgiven in full once the employee returns and delivers satisfactory performance.

So a $100-160k fully forgiven loan to a 27 year old doesn’t “count” as compensation where you live? It does in my neck of the woods!!!

tsbna44 · August 31, 2025, 3:22pm

From a 2023 Fortune article - it jives with what I’m hearing/seeing - and today not just an MBA but also special classes or certificates.

My benefits manual states - Eligible employees may claim 100% of tuition fees of up to $3,500.00 maximum per employee per calendar year (half paid up front and half after a C).

My son’s company pays - I think up to $10K. We were discussing how an MBA at UCI will still cost him 6 figures, after company reimbursement. He’s thinking it’s not a good investment…at least two years out of undergrad.

Yes, companies have fringe benefits from adoption benefits to legal to tuition and more. Few likely use and I wish my kids worked for your company - because this is known as one of the benefits companies have slashed over the years…it’s great yours keeps it. Mine even reimburses the gym (I get $125 back each year) because I’m home based and not at a facility with the gym….so lots have benefits….but again, these don’t pay the bills.

Here are some related to tuition reimbursement - third party but I validated a few on work websites where I could and they match..

Apple

Apple offers tuition reimbursement for select education expenses, including tuition—up to $5,250 annually, according to Salle Mae.

Bank of America

Bank of America’s tuition reimbursement program offers up to $7,500 annually for eligible graduate courses, with up to $5,250 of that amount being tax-free. In addition, the program provides exclusive university discounts and unlimited access to free, personalized academic advisory services.

Cencora

After working at Cencora for at least 6 months full time, employees can get up to $5,250 in tuition assistance for approved courses and books. Through its partnership with Rasmussen University, individuals earn an MBA potentially free if they are awarded the Professional Achievement Grant.

Citigroup

Citigroup’s tuition assistance program covers qualified expenses and fees up to $5,250 per calendar year for undergraduate and certificate programs. However for MBA and graduate level degrees, it offers up to $7,500, subject to applicable taxes.

Ford Motor

Ford Motor’s Salaried Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) offers up to $6,000 annually, plus additional funding for qualifying MBA expenses, subject to the discretion of the employee’s current management.

General Motors

Salaried and hourly employees with seniority are offered tuition assistance up to $6,000 in a 12-month period. Exact eligibility may depend on union status.

Get an MBA—on your employer’s dime. These Fortune 500 company will help you fund your MBA | Fortune Education

25 Companies with College Tuition Reimbursement Programs | Get Schooled

IndySceptic · August 31, 2025, 3:23pm

But you have to admit there are objectively few of these opportunities in the overall scheme of things.

ECCA2026 · August 31, 2025, 3:46pm

Thanks for the response. To be clear, I was not knocking or griping about this particular list. My point is, the key question I want to know is “why is one school’s median higher than another’s?” And, I don’t think any salary ranking at the school level is particularly useful for any individual because there is so much variation within every school based on career area one wishes to pursue.

Your note of Kenyon being low on the list is a great example. That shocks me not at all having visited and having a kid who is interested in it. Kenyon is a school that has tons of folks interested in writing and the humanities side of academics with far fewer focused on career, so it is a lot of students who are not focused on maximizing wealth. Conversely, Claremont McKenna which we also visited is heavily preprofessional and business oriented, so again no surprise that they are near the top of the list. A useful question is, if you are a kid who loves writing and wants to study English, would a student with your profile and interests make less coming out of Kenyon than Claremont McKenna if you plan to go into same profession? The school based data simply doesn’t tell us that. It is not a knock, it’s just a limitation on data like this. That was my point.

By the way, if I were wholly focused on ROI, I’d make my kid become an electrician and would just invest the $300k+ for them in an investment fund over 4 years. But, that is not all college is about for me.

tsbna44 · August 31, 2025, 4:06pm

Love your points and totally understand them. I guess my question is - as a parent purchasing a several hundred thousand dollar purchase, if you heard the median at Kenyon 9 years out was $52K….so your kid might make more…but might not….would that impact your decision to spend so much there? Of course, not everyone spends - 50% of Kenyon’s kids got need aid per CDS, averaging $58K. And about 1/3 merit aid, averaging $24.5K. No doubt some get both but assuming it’s an either or, few are paying full there….likely in part to that they may be attracting kids able to go elsewhere but they’re buying them in as wealthy schools tend to do in hopes of improving their standing/ranking, etc.

I know this data doesn’t include all students, etc. but as we have it as as a baseline…

I personally don’t think a 30 year old today, could live successfully, at least with wealth growth, at $52K. And if you believe the data, then half are living on less.

But you aren’t wrong - all schools aren’t created equally - and those at the top have offerings that Kenyon, per your example don’t - so it is interesting how a Bucknell, as an example, and Kenyon will make the same list when one’s offerings are more similar to a regular university vs. an LAC.

ECCA2026 · August 31, 2025, 4:22pm

My answer is no, that would not impact my decision. Because, it tells me nothing about whether my kid, with their interests would make more or less than that if they went to another school instead of Kenyon, or, because of their interest would make more than Kenyon average if they went there. I don’t find school level data that useful for my desionmaking, and I have a class of 2026 kid who is interested in Kenyon so this is not just theoretical.

tsbna44 · August 31, 2025, 4:48pm

But if you were full pay, knowing the major, you wouldn’t nudge them toward a lower cost school - like - since it’s on the list - a Mary Washington. Or an Allegheny. In our full pay case, knowing my daughter’s majors likely wouldn’t lead to a life of wealth, I set a $50k top. Then again, my son had a prosperous major - and I gave him the same limit We all think differently, of course, and as noted from CDS, it’s likely few Kenyon families are paying the full $87k direct costs

Not sure where niche gets its data but it shows 86 English majors at Kenyon and then second most is Econ with 62.

It’s always an interesting discussion and it’s always rinse and repeat with each ranking - especially those that show differently than common perception.

ECCA2026 · August 31, 2025, 5:00pm

I very well may nudge my kid toward a lower cost school, but that has nothing to do with the reported median salary out of Kenyon vs some other school. Looking at what likely earnings are in one’s kid’s field makes sense. Looking at how much a school would cost your family to send your kid there makes sense. Looking at some generic median of earnings of students from a school from a wide array of majors/career paths makes zero sense to me. I don’t find that piece of data valuable at all in my decision making.

circuitrider · September 1, 2025, 3:38pm

Okay, once more into the breach. If we’re talking about the Washington Monthly poll now, I have to admit that I’m impressed by how highly Wesleyan ranks in @tsbna44 ‘s rejiggered list. No engineering programs *per se* (though it does share dual degree programs with Columbia and Dartmouth), no business school though it does place a good number of graduates with management and finance companies. It’s really the poster child for the traditional liberal arts and sciences PLUS a significant representation in the visual and performing arts. It’s sort of the best of all worlds: a lively campus with a lot of practical opportunities.

tsbna44 · September 1, 2025, 3:45pm

I’m guessing most Wes grads wouldn’t rave about we’re 29. We’re 29 but I do see your point. I’m sure it’s a great school, as likely most/all of these are.

Of course and they provide no salary data which is a shame, but the name dropping (2024 grads) likely impresses many prospective students. Well I guess I focused on McKinsey which seems to impress many who do chance mes and I’m glad to see my daughter’s organization on the list. Some arts names as you note as well although we don’t know the duties.

Wesleyan Class of 2024 Top Employers (# of hires):

Wesleyan (8)
JPMorgan Chase (7)
Americorps (6)
Citi (4)
McKinsey (4)
Accenture (3)
AlphaSights (3)
Massachusetts General Hospital (3)
Pleasance Theatre Trust (3)
United Talent Agency (3)
Yale (3)
Bank of America (2)
Boston Children’s Hospital (2)
Epic (2)
Evercore (2)
IBM (2)
NERA(2)
Nomura Greentech (2)
Success Academy (2)
Teach for America (2)

circuitrider · September 1, 2025, 3:51pm

Beats cheering, “We’re #44!“