Bates College Rated Best Value
Posted on April 19th, 2005
(Source: Bates College)Bates College is higher education's "best value," according to the new Princeton Review rankings. The total annual cost for this Maine liberal arts college runs about $40,000. So where's the value?
According to a story in the Boston Globe, the college offers a particularly generous financial aid package. On average, freshmen receive over $20,000 in grants, not including Student Loans
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The Review considers costs and aid in its rankings, but also factors in "the quality of students the schools attract, as measured by admissions credentials, as well as how students rated their academic experiences."
After weighing those criteria, the publication revealed the following top ten:
1. Bates College (ME)
2. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM)
3. Brigham Young University (UT)
4. Hendrix College (AR)
5. University of California-Los Angeles (CA)
6. New College of Florida (FL)
7. City University of New York-Brooklyn College (NY)
8. City University of New York-Queens College (NY)
9. William Jewell College (MO)
10. Hanover College (IN)
"In a nutshell," the Review's website explains, "the Top Ten Best Value Colleges list names schools that we believe offer outstanding academics and enroll good students who are happy with the education they are receiving, and, additionally—and more importantly—do not have to mortgage their futures because their school is charging them way too much."
Great. But I'd like to see if that "value" extends beyond four years. Would a student find more "value" in the long run by attending an Ivy or a similarly prestigious institution? Low cost of entry is fine, but long-term payoffs are what really count. Of course, what constitutes a good return on investment is another subject for debate.
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