On June 6, 2017, the Wall Street Journal named Plymouth State University among the top schools in America for students to learn critical-thinking skills that prepare them to enter their careers as leaders in their chosen fields.

The front-page story detailed how few U.S. colleges teach their students how to think. According to the article and the statistics citied in the story, PSU ranked number one for critical-thinking improvement.

PSU ranked first among public colleges and universities across the country for its ability to improve the critical-thinking ability of students. The June 6 report showed that PSU far outpaced well-known public institutions, including University of Kentucky, University of Texas, Ohio State University, Keene State, and The Citadel. The full story as reported in the Union Leader can be found at here. 

“We were delighted to receive validation that our focus on critical thinking and attention to student development was reflected in these national rankings,” said Gail Mears, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services. “The results suggest that our students’ critical-thinking skills develop significantly over their time here. These results are not surprising given our unprecedented engagement with students, high-quality teaching, and a curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking.”

As PSU continues the move to the Integrated Clusters model of education, administrators are confident these critical-thinking skills combined with real-world experience will serve students well as they enter the world as PSU alumni.

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