Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) is a public, historically black college, located in north-eastern North Carolina. ECSU has been selected by Washington Monthly Magazine as the best baccalaureate college in the nation when it comes to their contribution to public good. ECSU is 1st among 100 institutions in the baccalaureate category. The rankings are listed in the September-October 2012 issue of the magazine. This prestigious honor is based on three main criteria.
Social Mobility
This scoring criteria is based upon how well ECSU pursues and then graduates low income students. Unfortunately, many students who are fully qualified to receive a college education do not, simply because they’re unaware of the available financial aid. Elizabeth City State College has gone above and beyond other schools in this area, reaching out to students through Pell grants and other types of financial aid and graduating a very impressive forty-two percent of students compared to their predicted graduation rate of just nineteen percent.
Research
Representing students who aim high and reach their goals, this criteria focuses on higher education. Scoring at the very top (as they did across the board) ESCU boasts the highest percentage of students, based on school size, who advance beyond a Baccalaureate degree to obtain a Ph. D.
Service
Giving back to the community is a must at any school. This criteria focuses on service areas such as ROTC, Peace Corps and closer-to-home types of community service. As with the other two criteria, ESCU ranks at the very top.
An All-Around Great School
What do all these numbers mean? Most importantly, they mean that ESCU is a truly wonderful school to attend. With some of the very lowest net costs in the nation and impressive graduation and higher education rankings, ESCU is a great place for every student to reach his or her full potential.
ESCU, established in 1891, currently offers thirty-seven baccalaureate degrees and four masters programs. Students have a wide variety of social, academic and sports activities to keep them busy, including Greek life, student arts, football and volleyball to name just a few.
Students will be happy to find the bustling tourist-favorite of Virginia Beach, Virginia just a short drive away, making it a fun destination for weekend excursions.
Back in 2011, ESCU ranked at number five in the magazine’s college guide. This leap to number one reflects just how dedicated ESCU is to providing an accessible, affordable education to every student, and how focused they are on giving back through various forms of community service. In short, ESCU is a great place to call home during your college years.
Photo by Varick Taylor — at Elizabeth City State University.
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