Michigan State University rose to No. 1 in service-learning among public universities and No. 8 overall in the recently released U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best College rankings. MSU ranked No. 2 and No. 13, respectively, in the same categories a year ago.

“Service-learning is a community-engaged learning strategy that we support for students, faculty, staff, and community partners to targeting critical issues and implementing change,” said Renee Brown, director of the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), which jointly reports to the Office of University Outreach and Engagement and Student Life and Engagement. “I am so proud of our Spartan community and partners for achieving this outstanding ranking. We deeply value our campus-community partnerships and strongly believe it’s our mission to prepare students for lifelong civic and social responsibility.”

Each year, MSU sees 20,000-35,000 registrations for students who want to participate in community-engaged learning opportunities both in and beyond the classroom. Research conducted by U.S. News shows well-regarded service-learning experiences are linked to student success and positive learning outcomes.

“MSU’s faculty and staff are dedicated to providing students with real-world experiences and opportunities to connect with communities locally and around the world,” said Kwesi Brookins, vice provost for University Outreach and Engagement. “This exceptional recognition is a testament to the high value MSU places on service-learning and how effective university-community partnerships can be.”

U.S. News determined rankings by inviting college presidents, chief academic officers, deans of students, and deans of admissions from more than 1,500 schools to nominate up to 15 institutions with stellar examples of service-learning. Colleges and universities that received 10 or more nominations were ranked.

To learn more about service-learning at MSU, visit the Center for Community Engaged Learning website.

MSU also rose in several other categories. To view MSU’s 2024 U.S. News rankings, visit the article in MSUToday.