NOTEWOR LYCOMING COLLEGE BREAKS INTO U.S. NEWS TOP 100 LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES, RANKS NO. 22 BEST VALUE SCHOOL LYCOMING COLLEGE NAMED NASA SPACE GRANT SCHOOL ENSURING 15 INTERNSHIPS OVER FIVE YEARS The U.S. News 2025 National Liberal Arts Colleges rankings placed Lycoming College among the best colleges in the nation with an overall rank of No. 100, the No. 22 spot on the Best Value Schools list, and the No. 7 position on Top Performers on Social Mobility. Lycoming College’s TOP 100 position denotes a rise of seven spots in overall rank, tying Lycoming with Augustana College and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The 2025 listing is also the first time that Lycoming College appeared on the Best Value Schools list, which, according to U.S. News “takes into account a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its 2024 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2022-23 net cost of attendance for an out-of-state student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.” For the Top Performers on Social Mobility, Lycoming remained steady at No. 7 — a reflection of the institution’s commitment to improving college access for high-performing, highneed students. “Our hard work has paid off,” said President Trachte. “Moving up to TOP 100 in U.S. News is wonderful affirmation of the commitment and dedicated work of the trustees, faculty, and staff over the past decade. We believe that this ranking will enhance the visibility of our institution and expand the pool of prospective students and their families that find Lycoming to be their best-fit college.” Joining the ranks of Pennsylvania research institutions including Carnegie Mellon and Lehigh University, Lycoming College received a fiveyear NASA Space Grant award that will enable the institution to host 15 astronomy research interns over its duration. The College matched the award for a total investment of $70,000 in astronomy student research opportunities. The National Space Grant program is a network of colleges and universities that work to expand opportunities for Americans to understand and participate in NASA’s aeronautics and space projects by supporting and enhancing science and engineering education, research, and public outreach. The grant will help fund the Lycoming College FUSION program, which is dedicated to involving first-year astronomy and physics students in facultyled research — a rare find on college campuses. Every summer, the FUSION program selects two first-year student researchers who show aptitude for astronomy research, as well as a third student researcher, typically an upper-class student, to guide and manage research projects while conducting their own faculty-led research. “The national research internship landscape is so competitive for undergraduates that giving them experiences early on can only enhance their chances of securing a prestigious REU [Research Experience for Undergraduates] later,” said 6 LYCOMING COLLEGE 2025 SPRING MAGAZINE
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