The annual ranking of private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine ranks Elon #35 in the nation based on acadamic quality and affordability.
In its annual ranking of the 100 top values in private colleges and universities, Kiplinger’s ranks Elon #18 in total cost, and #35 in overall best value. The ranking is the ninth consecutive top-50 best value recognition of Elon by Kiplinger’s.
Kiplinger’s says Elon and the other top-value schools provide “a quality education at an affordable price.” Elon’s total cost is $10,000-$20,000 lower than most of the other top-35 private universities ranked by Kiplinger’s. Among the 100 best-value private universities, Elon is one of only 18 schools with a total annual cost of less than $43,000.
“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.”
Elon is one of only six private universities in the Southeast/MidSouth region recognized by Kiplinger’s. Elon, Duke University and Wake Forest University are the only schools in the Carolinas and Virginia included in the private universities category.
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.
With a four-year graduation rate of 77 percent, Elon ranks #34 among the top 100 private universities.
The top 35 schools in this year’s Kiplinger’s ranking of best-value private universities include the following:
- Princeton University
- Yale University
- Harvard University
- Rice University
- Duke University
- Vanderbilt University
- California Institute of Technology
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Stanford University
- Dartmouth College
- University of Pennsylvania
- Cornell University
- Brown University
- Emory University
- University of Chicago
- Georgetown University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Notre Dame
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Northwestern University
- Tufts University
- Boston College
- Brigham Young University
- Clark University
- Lehigh University
- Wake Forest University
- University of Southern California
- University of Rochester
- Yeshiva University
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Villanova University
- Bentley University
- Brandeis University
- Drake University
- Elon University