WILMINGTON — Wilmington College was recognized for attributes ranging from affordability to a safe and friendly campus and providing a distinct educational experience in the 2018 listing of Best Value Colleges.

WC was one of 56 small-to-medium-size schools from across the United States to earn the designation of being “affordable and loved by a majority of its students.” The United States has some 8,000 colleges and universities.

Indeed, Wilmington College earned a Best Value School Award along with nearly five-dozen other institutions that are as close as Ohio Northern University and as geographically diverse as Rollins College in Lakeland, Fla.; College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.; and Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va.

Dr. Joseph Schmoke, president of Best Value Colleges, said the award is not the result of a ranking system, but rather schools like WC “belong to a unique ‘club’ of high quality, affordable higher learning institutions” that meet criteria important to prospective college students.

While its evaluators — former university presidents and business executives — look at data collected by the Dept. of Education and other reporting agencies, they seek to obtain an even deeper knowledge of the institution, Schmoke said.

“Ours is not a metrics-based list. Rather, we review academics, student life and student opinions, and compare that with financial outcomes data,” he added. “We talk to students, faculty and administrators to find answers to important questions about what makes a school great.”