Illinois State Makes Kiplinger List 4th Straight Time

For the fourth straight time, Illinois State University has been ranked as one of 100 best values in public colleges in the country according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.  According to the article in the February 2008 edition, Kiplinger’s list focuses on schools that “deliver a first-rate education without breaking the bank.”

“Despite a state economy that has cost Illinois State tens of millions of dollars and forced tuition rates higher, the University continues to be ranked with some of the finest institutions in the nation,” said President Al Bowman.  “To make the list four straight times really says something special about this University’s faculty and staff members, and the way they work with students to provide an outstanding educational experience at a reasonable cost.”

Kiplinger’s rankings are based on data provided by more than 500 public four-year colleges supplemented by the magazine’s independent research.  Ranking measures include freshman class ACT scores, admission rates, student-faculty ratios, the percentage of faculty with the highest degree in their field, how much each school spends on instruction for each student, how much each school spend on it library facilities and four-and six-year graduation rates.

Kiplinger’s then ranked each school on a combination of quality and cost components, including cost for in-state students (tuition, mandatory fees, room, board and estimated expenses for books and supplies), the average for each student with need after subtracting grants (but not loans), the average cost for a student without need after subtracting merit-based grants, the average percentage of need met by aid and the average debt a student accumulates prior to graduation.

Kiplinger’s places greater overall weight on quality, which accounts for about two-thirds of the final score, than on cost.  Other institutions on the list include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Missouri-Columbia and George Mason University.  The University of Illinois was the only other state university to make the list.