Berea College Again Named No. 1 Best College in Washington Monthly’s 2026 College Guide

September 1, 2026

BEREA, Ky. – Berea College has once again been named the No. 1 college in the nation in Washington Monthly’s 2026 College Guide and Rankings, earning the top spot among more than 1,400 four-year colleges and universities across the country.

The recognition comes just days after Berea announced the Financial Freedom Pledge, a groundbreaking expansion of the College’s historic tuition-free model that will provide every enrolled student with a fully funded, four-year degree, covering tuition, housing, food, and fees with no loans, beginning in Fall 2027.

Together, the announcements underscore Berea’s distinctive approach to higher education: opening doors to students with limited financial resources, minimizing the financial burden of college and preparing graduates to contribute to their communities and the broader public good.

“We are thrilled to receive this top national ranking, which affirms our commitment to ensuring our students’ success, our commitment to serving the public good, and our commitment to providing a unique financial model that removes the cost of college,” said President Cheryl Nixon. “We are dedicated to creating a transformational experience for our students — and, with our new fully funded degree, to transforming the economics of higher education. We thank Washington Monthly for creating this new type of ranking, which gets at the heart of what education should be about.” 

Washington Monthly’s College Guide differs from traditional college rankings by evaluating institutions based on their contributions to the public good rather than measures such as institutional wealth, exclusivity or prestige.

For its 2026 rankings, Washington Monthly evaluates four broad areas:

In the 2026 rankings, Berea achieved the nation’s top overall position, a composite of scores in which Berea earned the No. 2 ranking in affordability, No. 25 in access, No. 40 in service and No. 362 in outcomes. 

Washington Monthly specifically highlighted Berea’s success in serving students of modest means. The publication noted that Berea ranks first in its Pell recruitment measure and that students graduate with the second-lowest average debt levels in the country. It also recognized the College’s strong record of preparing students for careers in socially beneficial fields, including nursing.

“Berea College has been a top contender in the Washington Monthly rankings for the past decade,” the publication wrote in its 2026 College Guide, adding that the College’s results demonstrate what is possible when an institution puts students and the public good first.

The latest recognition follows Berea’s announcement on Aug. 27 of the Financial Freedom Pledge, which will fundamentally expand what it means for a Berea student to attend college without financial barriers.

Beginning in Fall 2027, Berea will guarantee that every enrolled student receives a fully funded, no-loan degree covering 100 percent of tuition, housing, food and required fees. 

The Financial Freedom Pledge builds upon Berea’s longstanding commitment to making higher education accessible to students with limited financial resources. Berea stopped charging tuition in 1892 and has remained the nation’s oldest continuously tuition-free college.