What Experts Say About Knox - Knox Fast Facts - Knox College

What Experts Say About Knox - Knox Fast Facts - Knox College
What Experts Say About Knox
What Experts Say About Knox
What Students Say
A College That Changes Lives
1. We're academically excellent.
U.S. News & World Report
ranked Knox #76 among 211 national liberal arts colleges, as well as among the top 50 national liberal arts colleges for Best Undergraduate Teaching and Most Innovative Schools. Knox was also selected to be part of
The Princeton Review’s
2026 edition of
The Best 391 Colleges,
as well as one of its
Best Midwest
colleges
2. We're a college that changes lives.
Knox has been included in every edition of
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges
since the groundbreaking book was first published in 1996. We're also a proud member of the
Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) non-profit organization; which promotes a student-centered approach to the college search process. Knox is also included on the National Listing of LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges & Universities on the
National Campus Pride Index
3. We're committed to service.
Washington Monthly
agrees, ranking Knox #45 among more than 200 national liberal arts colleges for its contributions to the public good, as well as the number one liberal arts college in Illinois. This is the 14th year in a row that Knox has appeared in the top 50 of this national ranking.
4. We're a best-value school.
That's according to
U.S. News and World Report
which ranked Knox #22 among colleges with top reputations for both academic excellence and affordability.
U.S. News and World Report
also put Knox at #15 in Social Mobility—meaning we are successful at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of students awarded Pell Grants.
Washington Monthly
named Knox a top midwestern "Best Bang for the Buck" college in the magazine's College Guide and Rankings.
7. We're a green (and silver) college.
Knox is including in
The Princeton Review's list of Green Colleges
and achieved a significant milestone in sustainability, earning its
fourth STARS silver rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
(AASHE). STARS, the sustainability tracking, assessment, and rating system, recognizes and encourages sustainability in higher education institutions. Knox’s sustainability practices have also earned the College many accolades, including a mention in
participation in the
national Race to Zero Waste campaign
LEED Gold certification for the Whitcomb Art Center
, and
more.
8. We contribute to the public good.
Knox is ranked #37 among more than 200 national liberal arts colleges by
Washington Monthly
for our contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service. . This is the twelfth year in a row that Knox has appeared in the top 50 of this national ranking. Knox was also ranked top 25 liberal arts colleges in the nation for Best Value School by
U.S. News & World Report
9. We're a "Hidden Gem."
College Raptor f
eatured Knox as one of its top
"hidden gem" liberal arts colleges
in the Great Lakes region. The list features
under-the-radar colleges that may not be household names but  bring "serious academic heat."