LaredoBuzz.Com

Courtesy Steve Harmon,

(Laredo, Texas)-For the fourth year in row, Texas  A&M International University (TAMIU) has been ranked in the Top Ten ofWashington Monthly’s Best Bang for the Buck Southern Colleges 2019 College Rankings.  TAMIU ranked sixth.

TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz said the ranking brings pride to all members of the TAMIU community:  students, faculty, staff and alumni…especially as the University celebrates its 50^th Anniversary this year.

“Our repeated high rankings in the Washington Monthly survey are a source of great pride for our University community and community at large.  It affirms how we serve our students and community with quality programs that better lives and futures.

“In this 50^th Anniversary year, we’re happy to share how our campus is a ranked, higher education destination with world-class facilities and a global faculty that engages and advances students in meaningful ways.  For this particular ranking, which looks at critical factors like net price, first-generation students and income and social mobility, we can see how our dedication to these dynamic elements through mission and services continues to distinguish our campus. Our 50^th Anniversary theme is  “A World of Difference,” and this ranking truly affirms that,” Dr. Arenaz concluded.

Last year, TAMIU was ranked ninth in the Washington Monthly survey.  This year, TAMIU’s Top Ten placement outperforms some impressive public and private universities, including Vanderbilt University of Tennessee (9); Trinity University of San Antonio (11) and the University of Texas-El Paso (12).

Unlike other higher education rankings, the Washington Monthly rankings also include three equally weighted portions: social (income) mobility, research and community and national service.

TAMIU has earned national accolades for the income mobility of its students, including being highlighted in the American Council on Education’s report, “Minority Serving Institutions as Engines of Upward Mobility,” based onStanford University’s  Equality of Opportunity Project.

Community and national service is deeply ingrained at TAMIU with service-learning and community service programs that have twice earned the President’s  Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This year, these efforts are also part of a student 50,000 hour Service Challenge for the University’s 50^th Anniversary.

Among key ranking indicators in the assessment for TAMIU are median earnings $45,395, attendance net price: $6,185 and a loan repayment rate of 57%.

Washington Monthly editors indicate its Best Bang for the Buck Colleges ranking is an exclusive list of schools ranked according to how well they help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. In particular, it isolates social mobility metrics to determine rankings.