Clark University’s academic caliber and financial value has helped it climb up ten spots from last year to earn a No. 31 ranking in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category of the 2012 edition of America’s Best Colleges released by the U.S News Media Group.
“We think it is especially noteworthy that Clark was recognized as one of the best values in higher education today.”
— Don Honeman, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Clark is also included in the list of Best National Universities, ranked 94th of 268 institutions selected, and appears on the list of “A-Plus Schools for B Students.” This list highlights academic institutions “where non-superstars have a decent shot at being accepted and thriving—where spirit and hard work could make all the difference in admissions offices.”
“We are pleased that Clark has consistently been rated as one of the leading institutions in its categories,” said Don Honeman, Clark’s Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. “We think it is especially noteworthy that Clark was recognized as one of the best values in higher education today. Our tuition-free Accelerated Bachelors to Master’s Program option and our highly competitive room and board charges distinguish Clark’s cost structure in ways that students and their families find especially attractive.
“Aside from the ratings, however, the best way for a student to evaluate whether a college is a good fit is to spend a few hours on the campus, meet the students, get a sense of student culture and gain a first-hand view of the academic experience.”
Honeman encourages students to enjoy a Clark Visit Experience on the web to learn more about the University’s size, its strong liberal arts curricula and its research capabilities.
The 350-page 2012 edition of the Best Colleges guidebook is available at USNews.com and will be on newsstands September 20.
The calculations for the U.S. News rankings are based on a school’s academic quality and reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity and more. The “Great Schools, Great Prices” calculations are based on academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student receiving the average need-based scholarship or grant. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, says U.S. News, the better the deal. “Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included, because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.”
Clark’s inclusion in these categories, as well as factors such as its graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity and more, are why it remains among the top 100 universities in the nation.
The U.S. News college rankings, compiled for the past 26 years, groups schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The rankings claim to be the most comprehensive research tool for students and parents considering higher education opportunities. According to the U.S. News Media Group, the America’s Best Colleges ranking package, which includes extensive editorial content and multimedia resources, has helped families navigate the difficult decisions involved throughout the college process, from college admission and selection to financing options.
Since its founding in 1887, Clark University in Worcester, Mass., has a history of challenging convention. As an innovative liberal arts college and research university, Clark’s world-class faculty leads a community of creative thinkers and passionate doers and offers a range of expertise. Clark is nationally recognized in the areas of psychology, geography, management, urban education, Holocaust and genocide studies, environmental studies, and international development and social change. Clark’s students, faculty and alumni embody the Clark motto: Challenge convention. Change our world.