Gustavus Adolphus College has once again been recognized by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance for combining outstanding academics with affordable cost. The publication named Gustavus the 47th best value among liberal arts colleges in the country and 87th among all ranked colleges and universities when it released its annual rankings on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
“Ensuring that Gustavus students continue to receive an excellent education while maintaining affordability for families is a top priority of mine and the Board of Trustees,” Gustavus President Rebecca M. Bergman said. “We are proud of the fact that Gustavus continues to be recognized as one of the best values in the country among institutions of higher education.”
Kiplinger assesses value using measurable standards of academic quality and affordability. Quality measures include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation. Gustavus has an 11 to 1 student to faculty ratio, a four-year graduation rate of 79 percent, and has a freshmen retention rate of 91 percent.
“We start with a universe of 1,200 schools, so each school on our rankings, from number 1 to number 300, is a best value,” said Janet Bodnar, Editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Families can use the list as a starting point and then tailor it to each student’s preference for such things as size, location, campus culture and major.”
The Top 100 Best College Values Among Liberal Arts Colleges list is both available online. More information is also available online at kiplinger.com/links/college. The rankings will also appear in the February 2016 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, which will hit newsstands Jan. 5, 2016.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510