UNCA, WCU named ‘best college values’ by Kiplinger’s

The public universities list includes Purdue (19) and IU (44), DePauw leads the state in the Liberal Arts Colleges list at 48, followed by Earlham (72), Goshen (74) and Wabash (91).

For the sixth year in a row business publisher Kiplinger has named Cornell College one of the 100 best values in liberal arts colleges. According to the publication, 83 percent of UCLA’s student financial aid needs are met, and the average cost for in-state students, once need-based aid is included, is $10,460. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation.

“On the quality side, UVA’s 87 percent four-year graduation rate is easily the best among the top 100 public universities, which the magazine notes “(spares) families the expense of an extra year of attendance”.

“This latest ranking reaffirms UVA’s position as one of the greatest values in American higher education”, UVA President Teresa A. Sullivan said. The University’s Affordable Excellence initiative reduced the maximum amount of need-based loans for in-state, low-income students by $10,000 over four years, from $14,000 to $4,000. The schools accepts only 7% of applicants; two-thirds of accepted students decide to enroll, and 98% of freshmen return for their sophomore year.

Also in the Top 100 were Western Carolina University and Appalachian State University.

In a new list from Forbes magazine of “Ten Top Colleges to Watch”, UVM was ranked second among four schools in the top 200 that have consistently risen up the list since the rankings began in 2009.

Kiplinger’s annually ranks best values in private colleges and universities that combine outstanding economic value with high-quality education. That’s the case in Washington after state lawmakers approved a bill that cut tuition by 5 percent at public colleges and universities. Also online: slide shows of the top ten schools in different categories, archives of past years’ rankings and an FAQ on the ranking methodology.