The University of California, Davis, is ranked eighth in the nation for offering students excellent social mobility opportunities, according to a new report that compared nearly 2,000 colleges and universities.
The report, published today (Dec. 1) by the think tank Education Reform Now, looked at the number of students at an institution who received Pell Grants, the six-year graduation rates for Pell Grant recipients, low rates of default on student loans within three years of entering repayment, and high rates of these students beginning to pay down student loans within five years of graduation.
UC Davis had the highest six-year graduation rate of the top 10 institutions, with 83 percent of Pell Grant recipients graduating within that time frame.
“UC Davis has a proud history of supporting students from all backgrounds and increasing their social mobility,” Chancellor Gary S. May said. “This report shows that we continue to lead as an institution, providing the highest quality education while offering the resources to ensure that our students succeed while in school and beyond.”
Earlier this fall, Washington Monthly ranked UC Davis second among national public universities for social mobility.
Education Reform Now, a nonprofit advocacy organization, looked at Pell Grant recipients at 1,900 colleges and universities and found only 614 where Pell Grant recipients were more likely to graduate than to drop out.
According to the report, Education Reform Now created its social mobility impact ranking” to recognize the institutions “that change the most lives.”
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Melissa Blouin, News and Media Relations, 530-752-2542, mlblouin@ucdavis.edu