Oklahoma State University has again been ranked among the top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges for providing a quality education at an affordable price in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance report for 2014.
The report ranked OSU among the top 100 public colleges based on a number of criteria including student-faculty ratio, the percentage of students who return their sophomore year, financial aid availability, low average student debt at graduation, and overall great value.
“This annual survey is important for combining practical financial and educational factors in its research,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “Our repeated appearance is a testament to the consistent value offered at Oklahoma State University.”
The top 100 public colleges are chosen from among 600 institutions that meet initial criteria, including factors such as admission rate, the test scores of incoming freshmen, and four- and six-year graduation rates. The report then factors in tuition fees, room and board and financial aid for in-state and out-of-state students, re-ranking the schools according to academic quality and affordability to determine which institutions offer the best value.
“The college landscape today is very different—tuition increases and student debt dominate the national conversation surrounding higher education,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. “This year’s top 100 schools have made admirable strides to maintain academic integrity and standards while meeting the financial needs of their students.”
The annual public school rankings appear in Kiplinger’s February 2014 issue, on newsstands Dec. 31, and online now at kiplinger.com/links/college.
