College Honored at 2020 Social Innovations Awards

PHILADELPHIA - For the third consecutive year, Peirce College has been named among the top institutions of higher education in Philadelphia for post-secondary social mobility, graduation and affordability.

Peirce College was honored at the 2020 Greater Philadelphia Social Innovations Awards on January 23, which took place at the Independence Blue Cross Innovation Center. Peirce was ranked second on post-secondary social mobility of its students, and third in the overall rankings that included affordability, social mobility, graduation and class size.

“We believe the completion of post-secondary education provides a solid foundation for economic mobility and overcoming poverty,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Caro, president and CEO of Peirce College. “We are honored to be recognized by the Social Innovations Journal for the work we do to help our students advance their lives.”

Peirce was among more than 60 finalists across 13 categories nominated and selected through a democratic process that included participation by more than 3,000 members of the public.  

“The 2020 Social Innovations Awards was a special opportunity to shed light on the work of social entrepreneurs, leaders, change-makers and organizations driving equity and inclusion across greater Philadelphia,” said Nicholas Torres, co-founder of the Social Innovations Journal.

As most low-income residents of Philadelphia face significant barriers to attending college, the Social Innovations Journal ranked colleges and universities using publically available data based on criteria it believes matter most to Philadelphia-area residents seeking to ascend the economic ladder: affordability, social and economic mobility, graduation/retention and class size.

Peirce also fared well in a recent national report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce comparing the return on investment (ROI) throughout a graduate’s career of more than 4,500 colleges and universities.  

In the report, A First Try at ROI: Ranking 4,500 Colleges, Peirce ranked in the top 12% nationally for best long-term ROI 40 years after enrollment. Researchers also found that bachelor’s degrees from private, nonprofit institutions have the highest ROI 40 years after enrollment.

About Peirce College

Established in 1865, Peirce College is Philadelphia’s leading senior private, nonprofit college for adults and a pioneer in online education and leveraging technology in higher education. Today, Peirce continues its tradition of serving the unique needs of working adults through career-focused, online and on-campus programs that provide students with academic excellence, flexibility and personalized support.  Peirce offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs taught by faculty who are leaders in their respective fields.  Learn more at www.peirce.edu.

Media Contact:

Amanda Hill
215.670.9476
amhill@peirce.edu