On December 15, 2016, 碍颈辫濒颈苍驳别谤鈥檚 Personal Finance released its of the top 300 鈥淏est College Values.鈥� 碍颈辫濒颈苍驳别谤鈥檚 ranks their top 100 public universities based on both in-state and out-of-state cost of attendance. The 蘑菇视频 was ranked #12 among public universities in value for in-state students and #24 among public universities in value for out-of-state students. This continues a history of high rankings for the 蘑菇视频. Over the past five years, the 蘑菇视频 has ranked #17 or better for in-state students, and #28 or better for out-of-state students, each year.
The calculations for 碍颈辫濒颈苍驳别谤鈥檚 rankings are based on quality criteria (which account for 55 percent of an institution鈥檚 overall ranking) and cost criteria (which account for the remaining 45 percent). Quality criteria include:
- Measures of competitiveness and selectivity (admission rate, percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll, and ACT and SAT scores of incoming freshmen);
- Four-year graduation rate; and
- Measures of academic support (freshman retention rate and student-to-faculty ratio).
Cost criteria include:
- Total cost (including tuition and fees as well as books and room and board, with added points for 鈥渟chools that reduce the price through need-based [grant] aid鈥� or 鈥渒nock down the price through non-need-based aid鈥�) and
- Student indebtedness (students鈥� average debt at graduation and the percentage of students who borrow).
Because public institutions typically have different tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state students, 碍颈辫濒颈苍驳别谤鈥檚 provides two separate rankings. While the quality criteria used in both rankings are the same, only in-state students鈥� cost of attendance factors into the in-state ranking (and likewise for the out-of-state ranking).
As the 碍颈辫濒颈苍驳别谤鈥檚 ranking is based on selectiveness, academic outcomes, and cost, it should not be interpreted as either a 鈥渂est colleges鈥� list or a 鈥渕ost affordable鈥� list. Among the top 10 public institutions for in-state students, for example, some institutions (e.g., College of William and Mary) are highly selective but more expensive, while others (e.g., University of Florida) have more inclusive admissions and lower four-year graduation rates but are more affordable.
For in-state students, the 蘑菇视频 compares strongly with the highest-ranked public institutions on measures of affordability. For example, the 蘑菇视频鈥檚 cost of attendance for in-state students, after applying need-based aid, is $7,800 per year. The average cost among the top 10 in-state is 50 percent higher, at $11,700. 蘑菇视频 students鈥� average debt at graduation is also lower, by about $2,000, than the average for top-10 institutions. Although the 蘑菇视频鈥檚 admit rate is higher and its four-year graduation rate is lower than some other top institutions鈥�, its relative affordability contributes to a strong ranking (#12 in the nation) for in-state students.
The 蘑菇视频鈥檚 higher cost for out-of-state students contributes to an out-of-state ranking of #24. For out-of-state students, the 蘑菇视频鈥檚 cost of attendance after need-based aid ($31,800) is slightly higher than the average among top-10 institutions ($31,300).
More information about 碍颈辫濒颈苍驳别谤鈥檚 methodology is available on .