William & Mary Named a ‘Best Value’ by Princeton Review
A national ranking has once again listed William & Mary as a best value among public universities and colleges. In its 2011 annual college rankings of best bargains, The Princeton Review places William & Mary seventh among its top public universities. The announcement follows last month’s ranking by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance that listed the College fourth among the magazine’s list of 100 best values for public universities.
The Princeton Review ranking is based on criteria covering academics, cost of attendance and financial aid. The company – known for its annual college guidebooks -- teamed up with USA Today to present a list of the top 50 values among public universities and the top 50 private universities. The University of Virginia was ranked as the best value among public schools and Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania was named the best value among private institutions.
According to a press release, The Princeton Review’s methodology examined more than 30 factors using data from surveys of administrators and students at 650 colleges and universities. The surveys, the company said, were conducted from fall 2009 through fall 2010. All cost and financial aid data is from fall 2010, according to the announcement.
The College is on a roll when it comes to rankings. In addition to Kiplinger’s and The Princeton Review, a December report released by The Chronicle of Higher Education showcased the College’s high graduation rate – a key factor in evaluating the cost of education. According to the analysis, which examined six years of federal data ending in 2008 for nearly 1,400 institutions, William & Mary has maintained the second-highest graduation rate in the country among public research institutions, ranging between 89 percent and 91 percent.
