Oakland, CA–August 20, 2009. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Mills College second as a "Great Schools, Great Prices" choice among colleges and universities in the West.

The "Great Schools, Great Prices" category by U.S. News & World Report recognized Mills for its high academic quality relative to the net cost of attendance for students receiving financial aid. In 2008-09, 89 percent of Mills students received need-based aid.

Mills' rankings improved as the College provided greater financial aid and created access for more students. Educational access and diversity is one of the three strategic goals for the College through 2013. The College is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse student body, reaching out to first-generation college students and other underrepresented students and their families, and supporting their educational experiences at Mills.

Previously the College ranked seventh on the "Great Schools, Great Prices" list for the West. Among its peers of the best in the West, Mills retains its position of 4th best in the region for the second year in a row.

"Mills College is proud to be recognized by our peers for our innovative and bold curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate students," said Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren. "We will continue to strive for excellence with a deep commitment to women's education."

U.S. News & World Report ranked the College a top choice in the West among the 572 accredited c olleges and universities in the country that confer bachelor's and master's degrees. Mills College has a vibrant undergraduate and graduate student community who are enrolled in more than 40 undergraduate majors and more than 25 graduate programs ranging from the nation's first MFA in book art and creative writing and an innovative MBA program.

Mills' academic quality was assessed by reviews from administrators of peer institutions as well as quantitative measures. Mills was noted for its small student-to-faculty ratio (11:1), small classes (78 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students), and high-caliber students (78 percent of freshmen are from the top quarter of their high school class). Other factors included the freshmen retention rate, graduation rate, percent of full-time faculty, college acceptance rate, and alumni giving rate.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 950 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The College ranks as one of the Best 371 Colleges by the Princeton Review. Forbes.com ranked Mills 55th among America's best colleges and named it a "Top Ten: Best of the All-Women's Colleges." Visit us at www.mills.edu.

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Quynh Tran
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