<p>Kiplinger’s has come up with their lists for 2009 Best Value Colleges for LAC, Private and Public Universities…</p>
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<p>[2009</a> Best Values in Private Colleges - Kiplinger.com](<a href=“http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2009/01/best_value_private_colleges_09.html]2009”>http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2009/01/best_value_private_colleges_09.html)</p>
<p>bump 10 char</p>
<p>A lot of their data is out of date. Most of the the acceptance rates, test scores and costs are not right.</p>
<p>Thanks for posting this, MattsMom!</p>
<p>SM Col, I believe this is data from the entering class fall 2007, because it exactly matches the stats of my D,s year.</p>
<p>It’s notable that 7 Jesuit colleges on the list (georgetown, boston college, gonzaga, loyola maryland, marquette, xavier, santa clara) plus three other catholic schools – ND, Providence, Villanova.</p>
<p>^ why is it notable?</p>
<p>Because except for BC and Georgetown, the other Jesuit schools don’t get a lot of play on CC, and they are very good schools.</p>
<p>villanovas jesuit as well</p>
<p>First off, kudos to those private colleges that provide generous need-based aid to all qualified students that need financial aid. I just hope more colleges can do the same as what Cal-Tech and the top ten on the list has committed to do. A good college education should be affordable and must not create a debt burden to the student or to the family. </p>
<p>Private colleges have only recently realized that with the high cost of attendance, more and more top students, especially those who come from family who are neither rich nor poor, are being pulled away by top pubic universities’ honour program. These top students not only get full-ride but the opportunity to work with professor on research projects. While the academic standard for the top public universities keep going higher and higher, the top private colleges academic standard has remained status quo and for some has detioriated. This is due to their preferences to admit high amount of legacy, developmental, and urm. Not to say that the aformentioned group does not have some quality students but these group, especially the legacy and developmental, made up the bread and butter of the student body who will replenish the college’s coffer annually. I am glad to see a good healthy competition for top students between public and private institution. Ah, this is capitalism after all and is alive and well.</p>
<p>There is simply no way that Cal Tech can be a “better value” than Olin, which is free.</p>
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Although obviously a great bargain, Olin is not free. It pays for tuition only. That still leaves ~$17k for housing, board, travel, books, fees, etc. That said, note that Cooper Union is missing as well. These universities were most likely intentionally left out.</p>
<p>For comparison’s sake, a quick analysis of data provided by the Common Data Sets:</p>
<p>At Caltech, 52.6% of students received financial aid last year, and the average grant was ~$26k. Average self-help was ~$4000. This leaves about $19k to be covered by EFC and loans. Slightly expensive, but doable for most people. The average indebtedness is $6,268, and the average indebtedness for federal loans only is $5,216.</p>
<p>At Olin, 11.8% of students received financial aid last year (in addition to tuition), and the average grant was ~$6,000. That leaves about $12k to be covered by EFC, self-help, and loans. The average indebtedness is $4,525.</p>
<p>^ OK, so if slightly more than 50% of Caltech students receive financial aid averaging $26K (grants/scholarships being the only true “aid,” with loans and work-study being essentially forms of self-financing), that means on average Caltech students receive slightly over $13,000. Thus on average Caltech students pay about $36,000/yr toward their education, net of FA—some higher, some lower, depending on whether they’re on FA.</p>
<p>Contrast Olin, where as I understand it 100% of students receive 100% of tuition, and in addition just under 12% of students receive additional grants averaging $6,000—or on average, $720 per student. That means on average, Olin students pay slightly under $13,000/yr toward their education.</p>
<p>So which is the better “value,” $36,000/yr at Caltech or $13,000/yr at Olin? Hard question to answer. If your family earns enough to easily afford the $36,000/yr it costs to attend Caltech (or perhaps more accurately, the $49,000/yr it costs to attend Caltech, because if your family can easily afford it, you won’t be seeing any of that FA), then Caltech may be the better investment. But a lot of families will calculate it makes more sense to invest $13,000 in an Olin education than $36,000 (or a little more, or a little less, depending on where you stand in the FA calculus) on a Caltech education. And they’ll be just as right.</p>
<p>This is why it’s silly to rate colleges by “value.” It’s like asking, “which is the better value, a Lexus or a Camry?” If you can easily afford the Lexus, it’s the better buy. If you can only afford a Camry, that’s the better buy. Caltech is the Lexus, Olin the Camry.</p>
<p>I have a Lexus and a Camry, and think the Camry was the better buy.</p>
<p>Good point, Greybeard. Now that you own both of them, which would you give up last.</p>
<p>i think kiplinger’s list is crap. absolute **** imo.</p>
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Thanks for such helpful insight. :rolleyes: Care to explain why you think that?</p>