
By Tony Spence
Kiplinger announced its annual Top College Value ranking of U.S. colleges and universities where students get the best payoff for the investment they make in four years of tuition and other costs. Kiplinger bases the ranking on a combination of quality of education (55%) and financial measures (45%).
It should come as no surprise that schools with high academic standards and ability to put considerable money around students — thanks to healthy endowments and financial aid practices — should fare better than schools that aren’t that fortunate. In the financials, Kiplinger factors in such things as tuition, need-based financial aid and median starting salaries upon graduation.
University of Notre Dame graduates at a commencement ceremony. (CNS file photo)
After looking at a field of 1,200 schools, Princeton, Harvard, Vanderbilt, Rice, Yale and Duke top the list. No surprise there.
How did Catholic colleges and universities fare this year? Pretty well. One-quarter of the Top 100 list is populated by Catholic higher education institutions. Here is how they ranked:
16 – University of Notre Dame
17 – Georgetown University
19 – Boston College
30 – Santa Clara University
33 – Creighton University
35 – Villanova University
42 – Gonzaga University
45 – Franciscan University of Steubenville
51 – University of Portland
55 – University of Dayton
57 – Marist University
58 – St. Louis University
60 – Marquette University
66 – University of San Diego
69 – Providence College
70 – Rockhurst University
71 – Duquesne University
72 – Loyola Marymount University
75 – Loyola University Chicago
81 – Fairfield University
83 – Fordham University
86 – St. Michael’s College
87 – University of St. Thomas
89 – Loyola University Maryland
96 – St. Bonaventure University
100 – Xavier University, Cincinnati
So, as your high school junior is beginning to think of where to go to college, those are 25 that give you a good bang for the buck.
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