VOLUME 54 NUMBER 9/10 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 Features THE 2022 COLLEGE GUIDE Introduction: A Different Kind of College Ranking America needs a new definition of higher education excellence, one that measures what colleges do for their country, instead of for themselves. by Kevin Carey When Gown Embraces Town It's time to judge colleges by their contribution to the economic and civic life of their communities. Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, passes the test brilliantly. by James Fallows The (Student) Paper of Record 76 The Ball State Daily News has filled a local journalism gap. by Deborah Fallows The Invisible College Barrier Admissions requirements for popular majors are robbing underprivileged students of future income-and their dreams. by Rob Wolfe A Job and a College Degree Before You Graduate High School " Dual enrollment " programs are the hottest reform in education. But they haven't worked for lower-income students of color-until now. by Jamaal Abdul-Alim The Memphis Post-COVID Community College Blues In the best of times, poor students struggle against long odds to graduate- and these are not the best of times. by Jodie Adams Kirshner Train in Vain 18 Why the government's workforce training system includes the worst colleges and excludes the best. by Anne Kim Breaking the Cycle of Privilege Administrators at Bunker Hill Community College noticed that their paid internships weren't reaching minorities and women in the numbers they intended. Here's how they fixed it. by Laura Colarusso America's Best and Worst Colleges for Vocational Certificates Finally, a ranking of the programs where millions of Americans seek job skills. by Paul Glastris America's Best Colleges for Student Voting The schools doing the most to turn students into citizens. by Rob Wolfe America's Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 30 TOC IMAGES: middle: Courtesy of Anthony Romano/Ball State University; bottom: Ben Torres Our one-of-a-kind list of schools that help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. by Robert Kelchen 60 65 52 47 35 42 30 26 23 18 15