The magazine also ranked the best values in 100 private universities, a list that includes Notre Dame (16), Butler University (50), Valparaiso (84) and Evansville (90). The 2016 rankings mark the fifth time Juniata rated inclusion in the annual rankings by the renowned business publication.
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Three state private universities also made Kiplinger’s list of 100 best values in private schools: Gonzaga, 42nd; Whitworth, 64th; and Seattle Pacific, 85th. The college, with 2,600 undergraduate students and a student to faculty ratio of 11:1, offers a high-quality education in an environment where all tenure-line faculty members hold a doctorate or equivalent degree and more than half of students do at least one internship. The Princeton Review and The Fiske Guide to Colleges also ranked UNCA as a “best value” or “best buy” this year.
Kiplinger assesses value by measurable standards of academic quality and affordability-the same key attributes that most parents and students look for in higher education. Among liberal-arts colleges, one Washington university cracked the top 100 list: University of Puget Sound, 97th.
Kiplinger derives 55 percent of a college’s grade from academic quality measures such as graduation rate, freshman retention and incoming student test scores.
When a school appears on the list multiple times, it is a “testament to the consistent value these colleges provide”, Kiplinger said. Criteria for cost includes: sticker prices; financial aid; and average student indebtedness at graduation. In 2001, the school became the first to institute a no-loan financial aid policy-awarding all accepted students 100% of their demonstrated financial need in the form of scholarships and grants. Juniata ranked 178th in the combined poll, out of the 300 public and private colleges and universities ranked.
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“If you’re out in four years you’re paying less and incurring less debt”, says Sandra Block, senior associate editor.
