First-generation college students are important. The growing economy of the world means that employers need increasing amounts of intelligent, well-trained people. But still, for someone who is the first person in their family to go to college, there are many hurdles to overcome. However, if you're determined to get a better education and achieve a great career, the opportunities are out there. In fact, it's much easier than you think. And, as this list reveals, many colleges have incredible ways of helping prospective students from non-typical backgrounds.
Some colleges are used to students whose families have never been to college. Others have started programs that are aimed at making first-generation college attendees more integrated. In fact, some states are filled with colleges that proactively want to take on more students from non-academic backgrounds. You just have to know where to look.
Up until now, identifying these first-generation, student-friendly colleges has been a challenge. The internet has many conflicting sources and guides to potential colleges that don't actually offer any concrete information. This list aims to correct that. We've scoured multiple sources and cross-referenced their statements with the recommended colleges themselves.
Whether you want to be an architect or a zoologist, we've tried to select a diverse range of college options, so that you have the best information and hopefully the perfect educational destination. But if none of the colleges below are right for you, then this list is still a resource that you can use. It will show you what the best colleges are doing for first-generation students, meaning that you'll know what to look for in your own options. The first steps to getting into the best possible college for you begin below.
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Top 30 First-Generation Student College Options
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Ranking FactorsThe sources for our list are diverse. There are few comparable lists to this one, but Study.com and First Generation Foundation have both provided high-quality assessments. However, the colleges on these lists were only the starting point of our research. Other sources have come from analyzing data that would naturally include students from non-academic backgrounds, such as low-income student college recommendation lists. Additionally, recent newspaper articles that document the colleges that are implementing an ever more friendly atmosphere for students who are the first in their families to go to college also form a key part of our results.
Our sources are as follows:
Study.com, 10 Great Colleges for First Generation Students:https://study.com/articles/10_Great_Colleges_for_First_Generation_Students.html
College Greenlight, Best Colleges for Low-Income Students: https://blog.collegegreenlight.com/blog/best-colleges-low-income-students/First Generation Foundation, Colleges & Universities: https://www.firstgenerationfoundation.org/students/colleges-universitiesRobertKelchen.com, Which Colleges Enroll First-Generation Students?: https://robertkelchen.com/2015/09/14/which-colleges-enroll-first-generation-students/The Washington Post, Low-income, first-generation students have – finally – established a beachhead at Ivy League schools. Now the real work starts: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/03/13/low-income-first-generation-students-have-finally-established-a-beachhead-at-ivy-league-schools-now-the-real-work-starts/?utm_term=.ea6e734feceeUSA Today, Is college worth it? Just ask first-generation students embarking on the American Dream: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/06/01/college-american-dream-first-generation-students-california-column/655734002/Washington Monthly, 2018 College Guide and Rankings National Universities: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018college-guide?ranking=2018-rankings-national-universitiesWashington Monthly, 2018 College Guide and Rankings Liberal Arts Colleges: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018college-guide?ranking=2018-rankings-liberal-arts-collegesAfter finding the colleges that these sources agree to be the best for first-generation college students, we've sorted the results into the below list. The college choices are ranked from 30 to one. Each entry also includes a summary that shows why we've included the college. Overall, there are two kinds of colleges on our list: ones that enroll a lower percentage of students whose families haven't been to college but ensure that they succeed through support services; and ones take on a large number of non-academic background students and have lower graduation rates, but which are still respectable on a national scale.
By BVS Staff
