Kiplinger in its upcoming issue has ranked WSU among the top 100 public universities in the nation for providing the “best value” to students.
Number one on the list was the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Washington state had three universities on the list, including: 7. University of Washington; 54. Western Washington University, and 95. WSU. Among private universities, Whitworth was ranked 39, and Gonzaga 50.
For the complete article, click the following link to Kiplinger. To see the top 100 list, click on the link in the story titled “our top 100 best values.”
Kiplinger looked at more than 500 colleges and universities and bases its rankings on a combination of academics and affordability. Academically, it considers SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and four- and six-year graduation rates. This accounts for two-thirds of the weighting.
Then, one-third is based on cost and financial aid — including total expenses for in-state students (tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and books); the average cost for a student with need after subtracting grants (but not loans); the average cost for a student without need after subtracting non-need-based grants; the average percentage of need met by aid; and the average debt per student before graduation. (In the table, aid is need-based assistance.)