Facts about Reed
Brought to you by Institutional Research
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"If you're a genuine intellectual,
live the life of the mind, and want to learn for the sake of learning,
the
place most likely to best empower you is . . . the most intellectual
college in the country—Reed in Portland, Oregon . . . Reed is a
precious asset of American democracy. It develops people with intellectual
openness and honesty, clear thinkers who are not afraid of new or unpopular
ideas, men and women who have the character and the ability to make the
increasingly tough decisions in an increasingly complex and troubled
society." "Reed has remained true to its original mission to
provide intelligent, intellectually passionate young men and women with
a first-rate education in an atmosphere of free inquiry and reflection.
. . . While students take pleasure in presenting themselves as free spirits,
nonconformists, and intellectuals in search of the eternal truths, they
are very serious students who relish meeting the rigorous demands of
the curriculum and the high standards set by their professors. Classes
are quite small and the
opportunities
for independent research and writing
are considerable. A premium is placed on the quality of teaching and
advising since intellectual dialogue and study is the key point of the
Reed experience." "Reed College has so special and admired a place in
higher education that if there were no Reed someone would have to invent
it. There is such wonderful attention to the life of the mind and at
the same time to caring about humanity." "You could take all the classes that are offered
at Reed at many other schools, but you wouldn't capture what happens
at Reed. The very atmosphere at Reed is filled with discourse. If Reed
students learn nothing else, they learn to present and defend their ideas." Reed ranked fourth in the nation among baccalaureate
granting institutions in the number of physics graduates
per year. Reed College is in the very top tier of small colleges
and universities in the number of students participating in the Peace
Corps according to the annual list of "Top Peace Corps Volunteer Producing
Colleges and Universities." Reed's two-year young debate team was recently named the top debate program in the Northwest, Division Two. At the final tournament of the 2004 Northwest Forensics Conference Reed earned the 1st place sweepstakes trophy for Division Two schools, a recognition of the number of debate victories and speaking awards throughout the year. The Northwest Forensics Conference calculates the number of speaking awards and debate victories at the three largest tournaments in the Northwest and Reed had more victories than any other team of its size. Reed ranks fourth in the nation as a baccalaureate-origin institution of Science and Engineering doctorate recipients per hundred bachelor's degrees awarded, 1997-2006 Reed ranks first in the nation in the production
of future Ph.D.s in the life sciences; second in chemistry and the
humanities; third in foreign languages, history, and political science;
fourth in the physical sciences, mathematics and computer sciences,
and science and engineering; fifth in physics, social sciences,
and sixth in anthropology. Among all institutions of higher learning,
it ranks third in the nation in all fields. "Among schools that do not offer the PhD or MA in philosophy, those with the best philosophy faculties would probably include: Amherst College, California Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College, Reed College, University of Vermont, and Wellesley College...A school like Reed sends more students on to top PhD programs than most universities with top twenty philosophy departments; that says something important about the quality of the philosophical faculty and curriculum."--The Philosophical Gourmet, February, 2004. A 1984 national survey places Reed among
the nation's leading undergraduate sources of ethnic doctorate recipients. Reed ranks second
in the percentage of Hispanics who go on to earn doctorates; third overall (gender and ethnic
groups combined); and fourth for women and Asians. Reed ranks among the highest output, most
cited, and highest impact colleges in the sciences in an analysis of research publications
from undergraduate liberal arts colleges. Reed received reaffirmation of its 'AA-" rating from Standard & Poor's Ratings Services. The outlook of "Positive" was given due to improved operating performance, with an increase in unrestricted net assets of $30.3 million for 2006; continued growth in students demand—a 15% increase in fall 2006 applications and a 40.4% acceptance rate, which improved from 70% five years ago; more than $443 million in endowment as of April 2007, or more than $317,000 per full-time equivalent (FTE); good liquidity, with unrestricted resources at 4.3x annual operating expenses and 4.4x pro forma debt; and a good history of fundraising, with annual fund giving of $3 million in 2006. "I do think that you have in Reed College
a monument, a testament of great excellence and elegance that is a
unique blend: a climate of audacious irreverence with the stretching
toward excellence that has been recognized both
nationally and internationally." Results of a 1981 survey rank Reed first
in the nation in "faculty commitment to teaching." Reed's "loyalty to traditional liberal arts
at a time when such a curriculum is unfashionable has redounded to
Reed's advantage." Continually updated and enhanced, the Reed campus has recently benefited from the largest spate of building projects in eight decades, including the renovation and expansion of the biology, psychology, and studio art buildings, and the library and sports center; construction of an educational technology center, campus center, and commons; a chemistry building; a bookstore; three residence halls; and a multipurpose auditorium. Construction projects currently underway include four new residence halls, a new pedestrian bridge, and renovations to the campus center. Also see the awards page. |
