Purchase Named Best Value by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance recently named Purchase College as a 2018 Best College Value for its combination of outstanding academic offerings at an affordable cost.

“We remain dedicated to providing the highest quality education in the liberal arts, sciences, and performing and visual arts. We are proud to provide an affordable and accessible experience, while nurturing the creative process and open-minded engagement that are the hallmarks of a Purchase education,” says President Thomas J. Schwarz.

Kiplinger assesses value by measurable standards of academic quality and affordability. Quality measures include admission rate, percentage of students who return for sophomore year, student-faculty ratio, and four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid, and average debt at graduation.

Purchase has appeared on the list multiple years in a row, which is a testament to the consistent value we provide.

“Our rankings, which weigh affordability alongside academic quality, are a great resource for students and their parents when sorting through college choices,” says Mark Solheim, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “We start with a universe of nearly 1,200 schools and trim the list using measures of academic quality. We then rank the schools based on cost and financial aid data. All 300 schools on our list are worth a look.”

Purchase lands at the number 85 spot on the list of Top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges.

The complete rankings are now available online and will appear in print in the February 2018 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

Additional Recognition

The Princeton Review named Purchase College in its Best 382 Colleges, 2018 Edition, which praised Purchase’s engaged faculty and “unique, passionate, intelligent,” student body.

 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges guide ranked Purchase among the best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2018.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges praised Purchase in its 2018 edition for fostering an “academic environment that provides a strong sense of community and support, yet celebrates individuals for their unique talents and contributions.”