Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranks WWU among 100 best values
Western Washington University ranks among the top 100 public colleges and universities in the nation that “deliver a stellar education at an affordable price,” according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.
“Western offers a high-quality academic experience to our students at an affordable cost, and we are committed to our distinctive environment for teaching and learning,” said WWU President Bruce Shepard. “Western is a community of active minds changing lives, unlocking doors to brighter futures. This is a direct result of the fine work by our faculty and staff to provide a collaborative learning community in which all of our students can excel.”
The rankings are based on data that more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities provided to determine the top 100.
The magazine, which has a circulation of about 800,000, ranked each school after an analysis of academic quality, including SAT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates.
Each school was then ranked based on cost and financial aid, including factors such as tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, estimated expenses for books, financial aid available and the average debt a student accumulates before graduation.
“Schools like these on the Kiplinger 100 list prove graduates can enter the workforce with a great education – and without a huge cloud of debt,” said Kiplinger’s Editor Janet Bodnar.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tops the list while the University of Washington is ranked 10th.
Western ranks ahead of a number of major colleges and universities, including: University of Massachusetts, Amherst; the University of Oregon; University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Iowa, and the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Western also has consistently received strong rankings in U.S. News & World Report surveys of colleges and universities in the nation. Western is the highest ranking public, master’s-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to U.S. News & World Report college rankings.