Ed. Note: The following is a news release courtesy of The Master’s College.

The Master’s College was ranked third place among liberal arts colleges in the Western Region  in U.S News and World Reports “2016 Best Colleges” rankings.

The Master’s College, or TMC, moved up from last year’s fifth place and is one of 363 institutions across the nation in “Regional College” category and is also one of 31 ranked regional colleges in the West.

U.S. News’ annual report ranks colleges based on a number of factors, including freshmen retention rate, class size, student-to-faculty ratio and graduation rate, among other things.

In addition to the overall ranking, TMC placed well in the following Western Region categories:

• First in freshman-to-sophomore retention rate at 82 percent.
• Fourth in the average six-year graduation rate at 62 percent.
• Fourth in the most international students.
• Fifth in the entering freshmen SAT scores at 1080.
• Fifth in the least debt in the class of 2014.
• Sixth in the best value school.

Notably, the four colleges that ranked higher than TMC in the “least debt” category were public institutions, making TMC the top private college in this category.

In addition, TMC continues to attract an academically strong and ethnically diverse student population.

Currently, the TMC’s international students hail from nearly 40 different countries and bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the campus community.

U.S. News’ “2016 Best Colleges Guidebook” is scheduled to be released later in September.

The 2016 edition marks the 17th year in a row that TMC has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report.

For more information, visit the website or call (800) 568-6248.

About The Master’s College

For more than 85 years, The Master’s College has provided quality, Christian liberal arts education to thousands of students around the world through 13 major fields of study with 60 distinctive emphases.

Under the leadership of President Dr. John MacArthur, The Master’s College seeks to empower these students for a life of enduring commitment to Christ, biblical fidelity, moral integrity, intellectual growth and lasting contribution to the Kingdom of God worldwide.