Washington Monthly - September/October 2021 - 17

TOP 30
tion budgets by the amount of extra aid Washington is sending,
leaving the intended beneficiaries of that aid no better
off and the federal government holding the bag.
On the other hand, if the money comes with the
wrong kind of strings, states and university systems
won't have the flexibility they need to experiment with
new models. For instance, it might make sense for them
to direct some college completion grants not to colleges
but to high schools for programs like dual enrollment.
As Anne Kim explains in this issue, dual enrollment has
a better track record than AP courses of getting low-income
and minority students into and through college
( " Advanced Misplacement, " page 32).
Another concern is that funds for national service
will get squeezed out as negotiations over the American
Families Plan proceed. This would be a relief for higher education
trade groups, which have never been enthusiastic
about the idea. But it would be a betrayal of the mission
most of the colleges they represent were founded on, of
preparing students for both professional careers and democratic
participation. College presidents these days don't
want to be held responsible for the latter mission (or even
the former, truth be told). But especially at a moment when
our democracy is in the red zone, they need to be. As the
Gates Foundation's Postsecondary Value Commission recently
concluded ( " What Is the Value of a College Degree?, "
page 12), we should judge institutions of higher learning
not just on their students' economic outcomes but on
their " ability to navigate and influence society to promote
equity and justice. "
Expanding national service is also key to making
" free college " a reality. As I argue elsewhere in this issue
( " Free College if You Serve, " page 22), the increased
Pell Grants in the bill won't be enough to allow low- and
moderate-income students to earn a bachelor's degree
without taking on debt. Nor will it do much to boost their
graduation rates. Add in service scholarships, however,
and the full costs of a BA are covered. And research shows
that young people who serve in AmeriCorps and then go
to college graduate at higher rates than their peers who
don't serve.
Congress should not just expand national service,
but also improve it by removing the senseless federal
tax imposed on AmeriCorps scholarships, a burden not
placed on GI Bill benefits. It should also write rules that
encourage more states to follow the lead of Nebraska,
which, as Jamaal Abdul-Alim reports ( " Cornhuskers Love
AmeriCorps, " page 27), offers in-state tuition at its public
colleges to any AmeriCorps veteran.
Washington should consider not just what programs
to support, but also what kinds of research to fund. As
Elizabeth Austin details ( " The Secret Lives of English Majors, "
page 29), surprising recent data from the University
of Texas system shows that Black and white humanities
graduates earn roughly the same amount of money both
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES
1. HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE (CA)
RANK IN U.S.
NEWS (2021)
2. Wesleyan University (CT)
3. Pomona College (CA)
4. Williams College (MA)
Grinnell College (IA)
5.
6. Amherst College (MA)
7. Middlebury College (VT)
8. Bowdoin College (ME)
9. Carleton College (MN)
10. Smith College (MA)
11. Vassar College (NY)
12. Macalester College (MN)
13. Berea College (KY)
14. Swarthmore College (PA)
15. Wellesley College (MA)
16. Washington and Lee University (VA)
17. Haverford College (PA)
18. College of Saint Benedict (MN)
19. Claremont McKenna College (CA)
20. Gustavus Adolphus College (MN)
21. Lafayette College (PA)
22. Hamilton College (NY)
23. St. Olaf College (MN)
24. Bates College (ME)
25. Connecticut College (CT)
26. Allegheny College (PA)
27. Beloit College (WI)
28. Dickinson College (PA)
29. Gettysburg College (PA)
30. St. Mary's College of Maryland (MD)*
*Public institution
25
20
4
1
13
2
9
6
9
15
13
27
33
3
4
9
15
96
6
84
40
9
67
22
51
80
80
47
54
80
The 2021 U.S. News rankings were released in September 2020.
right after graduating and 15 years out. Black and white
students in fields like science, technology, engineering,
and math, by contrast, have enormous earnings gaps. No
one knows for sure why the humanities have relative racial
equity. But if the federal government is interested in
advancing the economic standing of minorities, it would
be wise to invest some money to find out.
Rankings like ours, and those of our competitors,
can have a real impact, for good or ill, on how colleges
behave. But money from the government is ultimately a
way bigger motivator. Here's hoping that the new spending
bills, should they pass, not only reward the colleges
that do well on our current rankings, but also persuade
the laggards to do better.
Paul Glastris is the editor in chief of the Washington Monthly.
Washington Monthly 17
Washington Monthly - September/October 2021

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