Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has named Clark University one of the top ten best values in New England private colleges, in a ranking of 35 colleges and universities published in the magazine’s March issue. Clark is ranked at number 10 on the list. In December, Clark appeared at number 35 on Kiplinger’s annual ranking of the country’s top 100 private universities. Kiplinger’s full college rankings are available online now.
Other colleges in the top ten of on the Best College Values in New England list include Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Clark University and the other schools included in the 2014 lists represent the colleges that provide high-quality academics at a reasonable cost during these continued tough economic times. The colleges exemplify the attributes parents and students look for in higher education, including small class sizes, a good freshman retention rate and a high four-year graduation rate. Many schools, including Clark, have appeared on the list multiple times.
Donald Honeman, Clark University Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, cites Clark’s generous financial aid and scholarship options, tuition-free fifth year Master’s Program for strong undergraduate students, affordable room and board program, and an educational program framed by the University’s LEEP(Liberal Education & Effective Practice) curriculum as examples of its value.
Kiplinger’s rankings measure academic quality and affordability. Academic criteria include the student admission rate (the number of students accepted out of those who apply), the test scores of incoming freshmen, the ratio of students to faculty members, and the four- and five-year graduation rates. On the cost side, Kiplinger’s measures the sticker price, the availability and average amount of need-based and merit-based financial aid, and the average student debt at graduation. Many of the schools on the top 200 list have appeared in Kiplinger’s rankings in previous years, demonstrating that these schools consistently deliver good value.