The Princeton Review has again included Clark University on its annual list of Best Value Colleges, which also includes seven ranked categories — and Clark is No. 3 on the ranking of the Top 20 Schools for Making an Impact, up from No. 21 (of 25) on the 2020 list.

The annual guidebook is a resource for college-bound students — and their families — who are looking for affordable, academically outstanding colleges that prepare students for a successful career launch.

The Princeton Review chose its Best Value Colleges for 2021 based on data the company collected through surveys of administrators at more than 650 colleges from 2019 to 2020. Also considered was information from surveys of students attending the schools and PayScale.com surveys of alumni about their starting and mid-career salaries and job satisfaction figures.

The top “impact schools” were selected based on student ratings and responses to specific survey questions covering community service opportunities, student government, sustainability efforts, and on-campus student engagement, as well as the PayScale.com alumni surveys.

“The impact ranking says as much about our students and faculty, and the types of students Clark attracts, as it does about the University itself,” says Meredith Twombly, vice president of undergraduate admissions and financial aid. “If there is a single shared value on this campus, it is making tangible, positive change in whatever you do. We are a passionate and pragmatic community — students care a lot and figure out how to get important things done.”

The Princeton Review used more than 40 data points to tally ROI (Return on Investment) ratings of the colleges, which determined its selection of the 200 schools for the 2021 Best Value Colleges guide. Topics covered everything from academics, cost, and financial aid to graduation rates, student debt, alumni salaries, and job satisfaction.

The Princeton Review gave Clark an ROI score of 88 (out of 99).

“The schools we name as our Best Value Colleges for 2021 comprise only just over 1 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges,” noted Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “They are distinctive in their programs, size, region, and type, yet they are similar in three areas: every school offers outstanding academics, generous financial aid and/or a relative low cost of attendance, and stellar career services.”

The Princeton Review profile of Clark highlights the University’s Career Connections Center for helping students connect with “opportunities to explore their cocurricular and professional interests, gain relevant experience, and achieve their personal and professional goals.” Also lauded is ClarkCONNECT, which brings together Clark students, alumni, faculty, and friends to expand students’ knowledge through internship and networking experiences that prepare them for success after Clark.