Top
BSC again named a “Best College Value” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
BSC again named a “Best College Value” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
For Immediate Release
Dec. 16, 2016
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama--Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has ranked Birmingham-Southern College among the top 100 private colleges for 2017 on its annual list.
Introduced in 1998, the rankings now annually combine public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges into a single, comprehensive list. Kiplinger ranks the top 100 best values in each category based on high-quality academics at a reasonable cost.
The top 50 of each category will appear in the magazine’s February issue--which will be on newsstands Jan. 3. Kiplinger’s said its selected schools exemplify the attributes parents and students look for in higher education, including small class size, a good first-year retention rate, and a high four-year graduation rate.
“There’s no way around it: college is expensive, and it’s going to stay that way for a long time. So, with our rankings--which weigh affordability alongside academic quality--our goal is to help students and their parents understand what’s really worth the price,” said Janet Bodnar, the magazine’s editor. “While some may have ranked higher than others, all 300 schools on the list are of extraordinary value, being chosen out of a universe of 1,200.”
Kiplinger’s quality academic measures, which are weighted more heavily than cost, include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio, and the four-year graduation rate. On the cost side, Kiplinger’s measures the sticker price, financial aid, and average debt at graduation. BSC ranked at No. 88 this year.
“We are pleased that Kiplinger’s has again recognized Birmingham-Southern as a best value college,” said Sara Newhouse, BSC’s vice president for admission and financial planning. “This recognition, coupled with our inclusion in the 2017 Fiske Guide to Colleges, 2016 Forbes Grateful Graduates Index, and 2017 U.S. News college rankings, reflects the college’s longstanding commitment to balancing two important priorities: a high-quality BSC education with an affordable price tag.”
Many of the schools on the top 100 list have appeared in Kiplinger’s rankings in previous years, demonstrating that these schools consistently deliver good value. The complete rankings are available online at kiplinger.com/links/colleges.
About Kiplinger
For nine decades, the Kiplinger organization, located in the heart of our nation’s capital, has led the way in personal finance and business forecasting. Founded in 1920 by W.M. Kiplinger, the company developed one of the nation’s first successful newsletters in modern times. In 1947, Kiplinger created the nation’s first personal finance magazine.
About Birmingham-Southern College:
Birmingham-Southern College is a four-year, private liberal arts institution in Birmingham, Ala., founded in 1856 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It enrolls about 1,300 students from more than 30 states and 15 foreign countries.