Campus Connection

UWL makes Kiplinger’s ‘Best College Values’ list for its affordability, quality

UW-La Crosse is one of two schools in Wisconsin to make Kiplinger’s Personal Finance list of the top 100 best values in public colleges for 2018. UWL earned the No. 45 spot on the magazine’s list of 100 best values in public colleges for out-of-state students and the No. 64 spot for in-state students. UWL has moved up in the ranking in comparison to the 2017 list, which ranked UWL No. 49 for out-of-state students and No. 89 for in-state students. UWL has received “best value” recognition from Kiplinger’s for more than a decade. "We're delighted to see UWL remains such a highly regarded value in public higher education,” says UWL Chancellor Joe Gow. “Our talented and dedicated faculty and staff clearly continue to deliver a top-notch learning experience for our students, and we're grateful to Kiplinger's Personal Finance for including us in this prestigious list.” Schools are ranked based on objective measurements of academic quality and affordability. The list aims to provide a resource for students and their parents when sorting through college choices. UW-Madison was the only other Wisconsin school to make the 2018 public school ranking. It ranked No. 19 for out-of-state students and No. 13 for in-state-students. The full rankings are available online at kiplinger.com/links/colleges and will appear in print in the February 2018 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, on newsstands January 9. Introduced in 1998, the rankings now combine public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges into a single, comprehensive list. Kiplinger’s provides the list of 300 Best College Values and also ranks the 100 best values in each category. Methodology The editors at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance start with data from nearly 1,200 public and private four-year schools, provided by Peterson’s. The list is then narrowed to the top schools based on measures of academic quality, including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four-year graduation rates. The editors then rank the schools using cost and financial aid measures. Academic quality carries more weight than costs. At Kiplinger.com, visitors have access to the "Find the Best College for You” tool and other resources that let readers sort by admission rate, average debt at graduation and other criteria for all schools, plus in-state and out-of-state cost for public colleges. About Kiplinger For nine decades, the Kiplinger organization 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. The Kiplinger Letter, launched in 1923, remains the longest continuously published newsletter in the United States. In 1947, Kiplinger created the nation's first personal finance magazine. Located in the heart of our nation's capital, the Kiplinger editors remain dedicated to delivering sound, unbiased advice for your family and your business in clear, concise language. View Kiplinger’s 2018 rankings.