Kiplinger.com has published the top 100 Best Values in public college/universities. As with any ranking system, it is best to know exactly what the methodology consists of. Kiplinger starts with data from Petersons/Nelnet (www.petersons.com; www.nelnet.com) on 500 public institutions, then narrows it using the college’s reported ACT/SAT averages, GPAs, and four and six year graduation rates. Then Kiplinger uses academic “quality” and cost indices to formulate the 100 best values.
As always, I take rankings with a big grain of salt. Unless rankings are obtained using the same data that colleges and universities report to the government bond rating agencies (which no rankings are) you cannot know how “honest” the self-reporting is. The Wall Street Journal’s report a few years back on the habits of some institutions in “creative” self-reporting has given me a jaundiced view of rankings. However, given the economy and the trend toward public universities for many families, I thought Kiplinger’s list worth a look. I don’t think there are many surprises here. It is also worth pointing out that private colleges and universities tend to give much more financial aid than publics. In the end, it is all about the fit of the school for the student, and the financial package of course!
A friend and colleague, Kiersten Gwozdz Murphy from the IECA, posted a blog that most excellently addresses the “value” of public universities. Pointing out the number of cuts in programs, faculty and majors, Kiersten advises that when considering the financial value of a college or university, one needs to consider how these cuts will impact the college experience. I highly recommend that my readers take a look at Kiersten’s blog. The value of a university is not just found in it’s price tag.
