Spotlight on Ursinus College

Today's college spotlight takes us to the small town of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, where we find Ursinus College's attractive 170-acre campus. Ursinus is in many ways the quintessential undergraduate liberal arts college. The school's teaching philosophy focuses on lots of interaction between students and faculty, and with just over 1,500 students and a 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio, Ursinus provides an intimate educational experience for its students.

It's perhaps not too surprising that U.S. News & World Report ranked Ursinus #2 in their list of "up-and-coming liberal arts colleges." The college college's campus features a new performing arts facility, an art museum, and an excellent observatory. Ursinus's quality academics have earned it membership in Phi Beta Kappa. At the same time, Ursinus is not as difficult to get into as the country's most competitive colleges, so mere humans have a chance of taking advantage of the college's educational opportunities.

As a private college just outside of Philadelphia, Ursinus does have a hefty price tag. Luckily, the school does well on the financial aid front. In 2006-7, 94% of students received institutional grants with an average value near $18,000.

To learn more about the costs and admissions requirements of Ursinus College, be sure to check out the Ursinus profile and visit the official Ursinus website. If you're familiar with Ursinus, please share your impressions in the Ursinus College discussion thread in the College Admissions Forum.

Every week I spotlight a great college that might be off the radar of college applicants. If you'd like to recommend a school for a future spotlight, please do so here in the forum.