Kiplinger's Announces Best Deals 2007 (State Schools)

Parents Forum
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<p>Schools that top Kiplinger’s 100 Best Values in Public Colleges are noteworthy for their combination of top-flight academics and affordable costs. Our emphasis on academic strength is reflected in our scoring, academic quality measurements carry more weight than costs (almost two-thirds of the total). We also used academic-quality scores and average debt at graduation figures to break ties.</p>

<p>The rankings are based on data that more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities provided to Peterson’s, a Nelnet company. We supplemented Peterson’s data with our own reporting.</p>

<p>We narrowed the list to about 120 schools based on several measures of academic quality, including:</p>

<pre><code>* Percentage of the 2005-06 freshman class scoring 600 or higher on the verbal and math components of the SAT (or scoring 24 or higher on the ACT)

  • Admission rates
  • Freshman retention rates
  • Student-faculty ratios
  • Four- and six-year graduation rates, which most schools reported for the student cohort entering in 1999
    </code></pre>

<p>Then we ranked each school based on cost and financial aid. We looked at:</p>

<pre><code>* Total cost for in-state students (tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and estimated expenses for books)

  • Average cost for a student with need after subtracting grants (but not loans)
  • Average cost for a student without need after subtracting non-need-based grants
  • Average percentage of need met by aid (need-based assistance)
  • Average debt a student accumulates before graduation
    </code></pre>

<p>To determine out-of-state rankings, we ran the academic-quality and cost numbers again using total out-of-state costs and average costs after aid.</p>

<p>We were looking for schools that were academically strong as well as affordable, so in our scoring, academic quality carries more weight than costs (almost two-thirds of the total). We used academic-quality scores and average debt at graduation to break ties.
Not included in our list</p>

<p>Our rankings focus on traditional four-year public universities with broad-based curriculums. Unfortunately, that meant we had to leave out some excellent schools with special programs, including military schools and service academies, schools that do not provide housing (their costs could not be compared with other colleges), schools with limited curriculum and private or partially private institutions.</p>

<p>TOP 20</p>

<li> UNC - CHAPEL HILL</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA</li>
<li> COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA</li>
<li> SUNY - BINGHAMTON</li>
<li> NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA</li>
<li> SUNY - GENESEO</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY</li>
<li> NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY</li>
<li> GEORGIA TECH</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - LOS ANGELES</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE</li>
<li> FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - IRVINE</li>
<li> VIRGINIA TECH</li>
<li> UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN</li>
<li> MARY WASHINGTON COLLEGE (VA)</li>
</ol>

<p>COMPLETE LISTING:</p>

<p><a href=“http://content.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges/pubcollege.php?sortby=INRANK04&orderby=flip&states[]=ALL&myschool[]=none&outputby=table[/url]”>http://content.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges/pubcollege.php?sortby=INRANK04&orderby=flip&states[]=ALL&myschool[]=none&outputby=table</a></p>

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<p>Certainly shakes things up a bit for the usual suspects. I always like any ratings/listings... that elevate new schools into the mix of "top" and, in that way, might someday serve to dissuade kids and parents who feel they are doomed if they don't attend an Ivy or one of an absurdly small number of "top" LACs or publics.</p>

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<p>Gonna send this to son...his Carolina (chapel thrill) #1. He's back in his orange bubble, but I get to tease him about it being a beautiful Carolina blue day!!</p>

<p>Ha! I told him his black/orange Halloween colors for the next 4 years are pretty scary!!! He just keeps saying "med school Mom, med school."</p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>It's great that the methodology is clearly spelled out, and they mention that academics trumps cost in their ranking, and I know Michigan has excellent academics, but it is really expensive for the out of state student, somewhere above $40k i believe, and $10k more per year than Wisconsin for oos.</p>

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<p>It would be nice if the book got the name of #20 correct. It's been the "University of Mary Washington" for a couple of years.</p>

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<p>Motherdear, I've tried to get CC to change it in their alphabetical list of colleges, too, but they ignored my request. It's my alma mater so I want to see it listed correctly!</p>

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<p>I don't blame you! I'll be curious to see how long it takes to change R-MWC to Randolph College.</p>

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<p>Yay! Somebody FINALLY ranks the top three UCs in their proper order. ;-)</p>

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<p>The school and state legislature denied the peoples request for practicality. Mary Washington University would have made much more sense, but, oh well...</p>

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<p>Great to see Binghamton and Geneseo up there where they belong (above Berkeley and Michigan). Who says the northeast doesn't have great state schools?</p>

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<p>I would like to see the total cost of attendence for each of these schools, preferably for an out of state student. (Not enough to do the work myself). I am still having a hard time with a "best deal" school costing $41k per year.</p>

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<p>Amazing how many Florida schools made the top 25!</p>

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<p>I don't see where caliber of school was paid as much attention to as costs were; it's a good source for cost comparisons, but I certainly would not use this table to convince any top student to change his choices except among schools ranked closely by other sources. I have no problem with public schools charging out of state students as much as they can to save money for instate students and taxpayers. "Best deal" probably reflects instate costs more; $41K for a top public school is cheaper than for many top private schools, remember that the public schools have no obligation to cheaply educate the nontaxpayers' (OOS) kids. Also, consider the source, a financial publication- it can be worth a lot to go to a better academic school; I don't see huge savings from top to bottom listed schools, unlike the differences posssible with some private schools compared to these. I also see how some students can be lucky they have a cheap and also excellent by other rankings instate school to choose.</p>

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<p>Excuse, but the first 5 TOP considerations were those of academic quality. It was only AFTER that was cost taken into consideration.</p>

<p>Just for sake of argument, compare Geneseo with UMichigan. Median SAT virtually the same. Only 41% of applicants accepted to Geneseo; 57% at Michigan. Class sizes are smaller; higher percentage of faculty have Ph.Ds; student-faculty ratio is better; the list could go on. Both great schools, of course.</p>

<p>And, as they noted, when they looked at OOS students, they OVERWEIGHTED academic quality against costs.</p>

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<p>ok, I finally clicked on the link which got me to the source table and I see that they have seperate rankings for instate and out of state. I think the presentation and methodology are both excellent.... I just disagree with the results!! (LOL) I don't really see the point of telling people their instate school is a bargain. In most cases my response is, "duh" otoh, the rest of the world should note that TCNJ is number 5 for out of state students.</p>

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<p>Interesting, put not very practical IMO.
I find it really hard to apply these rankings. I suppose it works in some cases (UNC is a great deal for in -staters and OOS - but good luck getting in from OOS - it's brutal).
What really comes into play is your state of residence. If I'm from PA, then Pitt and Penn State are pretty good deals. Yes, the tuition and costs look bad compared to Florida and NC but we don't LIVE in those states. We have many oos students at Penn State (many from jersey or ny) - they don't treat OOS students differently in admissions. But some do. I wish my son had the luxury of applying instate to UVA and paying instate tuition (he's a top student and was rejected - they make it extraordinarily difficult to get in oos - the admissions stats are blended so it looks easier than it is).<br>
Perhaps this list can be useful to families who can choose where to locate to get the best educational deals. If only it were that simple...</p>

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<p>Michigan doesn't have a 57% acceptance rate. At least not anymore.</p>

<p>Where did they get this data? Peterson's? I guess it wouldn't have the most up-to-date stuff published.</p>

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<p>(Looks to me like they got it from the most recent issue of Princeton Review, which got it directly from the university.)</p>

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<p>I agree with toneranger. These rankings don't apply to me. If I had to come up with a list of best values, it would look a lot different than Kiplinger's list.</p>

<p>Kiplinger's list is useful as a way to generate ideas and to explore schools further. As a list of schools that are the best values...inaccurate.</p>

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<p>SUNY Stony Brook is committed to improving. Division 1 sports. Just acquired LIU Southhampton campus. Just a small example of great opportunites and an excellent VALUE here for students.</p>

<p>My ranking of the 4 SUNY university centers.</p>

<ol>
<li>Stony Brook</li>
<li>Binghampton</li>
<li>Buffalo</li>
<li>Albany</li>
</ol>