Again this year, has named 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú a “Best Value College,” based on factors including excellent academics, generous financial aid and cost of attendance.
“Generations of 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú alumnae and students know well the value of a 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú education, but to be recognized by external sources as a best value college is gratifying,” says 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú President Lori Bettison-Varga. “Our distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum is embraced by generous donors who provide the scholarship support that contributes to our best value status, and we are continually grateful.”
In its profile of 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú, editors at The Princeton Review commend the school for offering “the intimacy and intense focus of a small college campus with the academic and co-curricular offerings of a larger university.” One student says being part of the consortium is “very beneficial because it offers opportunities and resources that a small school would not otherwise have access to, and makes for interesting class discussions with people from very diverse academic backgrounds.”
The book’s editors also credited professors for being “accessible and consistently excellent.” Students appreciate the College’s high academic standards, and in particular, one praises the core program by noting that it “strengthens your understanding of Western thought in ways you’d never imagined.”
In the survey that provides the basis for Princeton Review ratings, many students also lauded the College for its commitment in meeting 100 percent of an eligible student’s demonstrated financial need with the combination of grants, scholarships, part-time work, and loans. A biology major says she chose 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú “because of the fantastic merit scholarships. Not only did they defray the expense of attending a private college, but they convinced me I could be a big fish in a small pond here.”
Princeton Review’s Senior VP/Publisher Robert Franek said, “We commend 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú and all of our ‘Best Value Colleges’ for their outstanding academics. Equally impressive are their efforts to be affordable to students with need – either via comparatively low sticker prices, generous financial aid, or both.”
The Best Value Colleges profiles 75 public and 75 private colleges The Princeton Review designates as “Best Values” based on the company’s surveys of 2,000 colleges and universities in 2012-13. Only the top 10 public and private colleges are ranked, with other institutions listed in alphabetical order. The selection process analyzed academics, cost, and financial aid, as well as data from The Princeton Review‘s surveys of students. For more information, please visit . USA TODAY, Princeton Review’s publishing partner since 2009, has posted information about the book and list at: .