Rankings evaluate outstanding economic value combined with exceptional education

by Princine Lewis

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked Vanderbilt 17th on its list of 100 best values in private institutions, which ranks private liberal arts colleges and universities that combine outstanding economic value with exceptional education.

“This year’s top 100 private schools met the challenges of a slumping economy with brio,” Kiplinger’s Editor Janet Bodnar said. “With so many private institutions offering generous financial aid packages, families are finding that private college is still affordable. In fact, the average tuition price can be as little as half or less of the sticker price, making them very competitive with public universities.”

The Kiplinger’s list included schools selected from a pool of more than 600 private institutions supplied by Peterson’s, a company that provides information on educational opportunities through books, Web sites, online products and admissions services. Schools in the Kiplinger 100 were ranked according to academic quality and affordability, with quality accounting for two-thirds of the total.

The complete article, along with sortable rankings and methodology, is available at www.kiplinger.com/reports/best-college-values.

Posted 12/01/09