Berea College has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of 100 best values in private colleges for 2015. The ranking cites four-year schools that represent Kiplinger’s definition of value: a combination of academic quality and affordability.
Since 2010, Berea College has appeared on Kiplinger’s list multiple times, a testament to the consistent value it provides.
Lyle Roelofs, Berea’s president says, “I am pleased that Kiplinger has recognized the amazing value of a Berea College education for the equally amazing students who attend. What is especially striking about that value, in the case of Berea, is that it is offered solely to those students who otherwise could not afford to obtain a college degree.”
Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to measurable standards, including the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker prices, financial aid and average debt at graduation. Two other Kentucky schools, Centre and Transylvania, also made the list, but Berea is recognized as the most affordable and its graduates have the least amount of debt.
“We salute this year’s top schools,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Balancing top-quality education with affordable cost is a challenge for families in today’s economy, which is why Kiplinger’s rankings are such a valuable resource. The schools on the 2015 list offer students the best of both worlds.”
The complete rankings are available online at the Kiplinger website. The rankings also appear in the February 2015 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Web visitors can find special features, including a tool that lets readers sort by admission rate, average debt at graduation and other criteria for all schools, plus by in-state and out-of-state cost for public universities; a slide show of the top 10 schools in each category; archives of previous years’ rankings, information about the ranking methodology, and more.
