RWU Ranks Among Top 10 Percent in Nation for Encouraging Students to Give Back to Their Country

Washington Monthly’s new annual College Guide ranks RWU high in the nation for commitment to service

Edward Fitzpatrick
Students doing community service.
Starting on day one, Roger Williams University instills the value of giving back to local and global communities through programs like Feinstein Community Connections, a full day of service that immerses the entire freshman class in 30 communities across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts before classes begin.

BRISTOL, R.I. ­­– Roger Williams University ranked among the top 10 percent in the nation in terms of “service” and “encouraging students to give something back to their country,” according to the Washington Monthly’s new annual College Guide and rankings.

The No. 67 ranking represents a dramatic increase from 2016, when RWU ranked No. 347 in the nation in terms of service. That rapid rise reflects the university’s new mission and its commitment to being a private university with a public purpose, RWU President Donald J. Farish said.

“If our mission – to strengthen society and build the university the world needs now – is going to be more than words, then we need to back up the words with action, and we do,” Farish said. “Project-based learning that engages with the community is now our hallmark. We applaud using that as a criterion versus questions such as ‘How big is the university’s endowment?’ ”

Farish said it is crucial to ask how the broader society benefits from a university. “Too often it doesn’t,” he said. “But at Roger Williams University, we make that our objective.”

Since 2005, Washington Monthly has released an annual College Guide and rankings, rating schools based on what they are doing for the country.

“Many of the national college rankings in guidebooks focus on measures of selectivity using student inputs such as test scores and grade point average,” said Brian G. Williams, RWU’s vice president of enrollment management and marketing. “Washington Monthly’s rankings align more with our mission – focusing on student success, who they become and how our graduates go on to strengthen society.”

At RWU, we develop Civic Scholars who believe in community-engaged work. That’s why we commit to providing every student an opportunity that empowers them to put their knowledge and skills to the test solving real-world problems and creating meaningful change with community partners. Learn more about the Civic Scholars program and how to help us reach our goal of every student participating in civic scholarship.

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