Berea College is repeatedly named as the nation’s top liberal arts college by Washington Monthly— an award that looks beyond standard criteria like test scores, economic data and peer surveys. Instead, Washington Monthly’s criteria focus on social mobility, excellence in education and community service.
Founded in 1855, Berea was the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. Berea awards four-year tuition scholarships to all its students, who because of financial circumstances cannot otherwise afford a high-quality, residential, liberal arts education. The work program has been an integral part of Berea’s educational program for more than a century.
Berea not only admits students, it hires each of them. Berea students all work a minimum of 10 hours a week in one of 112 labor departments that serve the institution. Students earn money, gain valuable work experience and learning, and contribute to the stewardship of College operations.
100% of Berea College students graduate with an academic and a labor transcript. And when combined with a resume, these transcripts provide the validation of a high- quality liberal arts education and the attainment of work/soft skills.
Berea College has been recognized for and is focused on helping students graduate with little or no debt. According to the Student Loan Debt Report compiled by lendedu.com, the Berea College 2017 graduates are ranked: