U.S. News ranks Augustana No. 34 in innovation

U.S. News & World Report has named Augustana College one of the nation’s most innovative liberal arts institutions, recognizing how the college is reshaping a classic liberal arts education to meet the needs of today’s students.  

Every year, the magazine's editors ask top officials at national liberal arts colleges to identify which of their Best Colleges-ranked peers are making the most innovative improvements involving curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities. Among the top-tier liberal arts colleges nationally, Augustana is ranked #34 — and #1 in Illinois.

“To be recognized for innovation is to be recognized for the heart of what we do — taking a tradition as strong as the liberal arts and reshaping it to prepare students for today’s world," said Andrea Talentino, president of Augustana. “At Augustana, innovation means rethinking pathways, partnerships and possibilities so that every student can graduate not just with knowledge, but with the courage and clarity to lead.”

Innovation at Augustana takes many forms, but the through-line is student success and impact. Recent initiatives are designed to ensure students not only thrive in college but launch confidently into careers and community leadership.

Some examples: 

• Augustana recently launched the STEM/Q Center, a collaborative hub that helps students succeed in STEM and other Augustana and other quantitative fields. The center offers peer tutoring, academic coaching, skill-building workshops and close faculty partnerships ensuring students have the skills and confidence to thrive. It reflects Augustana’s belief that a liberal arts foundation, paired with hands-on support, prepares students to lead in quantitative reasoning, research and scientific innovation.

• Through the Gerber Grand Challenge, alumnus Murry Gerber ’75 committed $40 million to endowed financial aid and pledged to match, dollar for dollar, new gifts for qualifying scholarships. To date, the challenge has generated more than $24 million in additional commitments — creating more than 120 new endowed funds.

• This philanthropic engine powers Augustana Possible, the college’s promise to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for qualifying students. Since its launch in 2023, more than 500 high-achieving students have enrolled through Augustana Possible, many of them the first in their families to attend college. For these students, financial barriers no longer block the path to a transformational education.

• This year, Augustana launched the Hilltop Community Development Corporation to strengthen ties between campus and community. The CDC is investing in neighborhood revitalization through targeted property acquisition, partnerships with local businesses, and collaborative planning with city leaders. By linking student learning with community development, the CDC reimagines the liberal arts not only as classroom-based, but as a driver of regional vitality and opportunity.

“Augustana's legacy of innovation relies on seeing opportunity in community,” said Kent Barnds, executive vice president for strategy and innovation. “We see innovation less as invention from scratch and more as new combinations that add value. Whether that means linking student support and STEM excellence in the new STEM/Q Center, connecting philanthropy and enrollment through Augustana Possible or pairing education and neighborhood investment with our Community Development Corporation, the goal is the same: to strengthen outcomes for students and impact for our community.”

• The college recently made its distinctive Augie Choice grant program available to sophomores as well as juniors and seniors. Augie Choice provides every student $2,000 to support a high-impact learning experience, including study abroad, an internship, research or a creative project. Fueled by an innovative campus culture and seeing a need for even more student participation in such life-changing learning experiences, an Augustana student brought the initial concept for Augie Choice to the college administration, and the program was launched in 2010. 

• Augustana also has reimagined international admissions as a driver of campus innovation and regional diversity. Under the leadership of Liz Nino, executive director of international enrollment, the college has built pipelines that have brought students from 34 countries — including the college's first students from Cambodia and Uzbekistan in the fall of 2025. 

“Liz and her team have increased new student recruitment from a dozen or so in her first year, 2013, to 150 to 170 annually,” said Barnds, making Augustana #6 among all U.S. baccalaureate colleges for number of international students — according to the 2024 Open Doors Report — and the top college in the Midwest. 

This fall, Augustana welcomed 165 international first-year students from countries including Ethiopia, Morocco, Nepal, Vietnam and Pakistan, making up 25% of the cohort. More than 20% of Augustana’s student body overall is now international, giving all students the chance to learn in a truly global classroom.

Learn more about Augustana College's rankings and recognitions.