Campus Connection

UW-La Crosse again named a “Best College Value” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

UW-La Crosse was one of two schools in Wisconsin to make Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the top 100 best values in public colleges for 2017. The rankings weigh college affordability alongside academic quality with the goal of helping students and their parents understand what schools are really worth the price. UWL earned the No. 49 spot on the magazine’s list of 100 best values in public colleges for out-of-state students, and the No. 89 spot for in-state students. UWL’s rank dipped from the 2016 list when it ranked No. 44 for out-of-state students and No. 63 for in-state students. “We’re pleased to be included in the top 100, but also concerned that we’re getting near the bottom of that group,” says UWL Chancellor Joe Gow. “We suspect that our downward trend is the result of the many years of state budget cuts. We hope that legislators will see the impact continued cutting has on the perceptions of quality of public institutions in the state of Wisconsin.” Kiplinger’s quality 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. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation. Unlike other rankings, which include subjective criteria in their assessments, Kiplinger restricts its analysis to measurable standards of academic quality and affordability. UWL has received “best value” recognition from Kiplinger’s for more than a decade. UW-Madison was the only other Wisconsin school to make the 2017 public school rankings. It ranked No. 18 for out-of-state students and No. 11 for in-state-students, also a dip from last year. The rankings combine public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges into a single, comprehensive list of the Top 300 Best College Values for 2017. It also ranks the top 100 best values in each category. All 300 schools on the list are of extraordinary value, being chosen out of a universe of 1,200, says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. The complete rankings are now available online at kiplinger.com/links/colleges and will appear in print in the February 2017 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, on newsstands January 3rd. 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. Kiplinger.com is the fastest growing Web site in the personal finance space. 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. Become a fan of Kiplinger on Facebook or Kiplinger.com and follow Kiplinger on Twitter, LinkedIn and Tumblr.