On the Heels of Welcoming the Largest Freshman Class in its History
St. Thomas University Ranked #1 in Social Mobility
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2019) – St. Thomas University was ranked #1 in Top Performers on Social Mobility for regional universities in the south by U.S. News & World Report 2020 Best Colleges. This ranking measures the graduation rates of students who receive federal Pell Grants (typically students from households with annual income of less than $50,000) and average first year retention rates. These two factors are critical to determining social mobility ranking.
“This ranking is clear evidence of the Return On Investment a student receives from an STU education,” said St. Thomas President, David A. Armstrong, J.D. “STU positively changes the financial trajectory of students and their families for generations.”
The university’s growing reputation of propelling its graduates into the middle class is contributing to a surge in enrollment. More than 511 freshman started fall 2019, the largest entering class in St. Thomas University’s history. Total undergraduate enrollment is now more than 1300, a 40% increase over last year.
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, St. Thomas is one of the top three South Florida universities producing the highest-earning graduates 10 years after enrollment. As just reported by U.S. News & World Report 2020, the median starting salary of a St. Thomas graduate is $48,400.
A federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution, St. Thomas University’s student population reflects the diversity of South Florida and is 84% minority. Last fall 33% of the university incoming class was first generation and 53% were Pell-eligible.
To prepare its students for the global job market, St. Thomas University has made experiential learning mandatory and promotes professional competition. The university’s undergraduate STEM students present original scientific research at symposiums and conferences at the regional, state and national levels. For the second time in five year, a team of MBA students from St. Thomas’s Gus Machado School of Business won first places honors in the National 2019 KeyBank Foundation Minority MBA Case Competition.
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