Kiplinger’s ranks Goshen College 2nd in Indiana among best value liberal arts colleges

Goshen College has again been named one of the top 100 best values among all liberal arts colleges by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance for 2015. The magazine recently announced the top universities and liberal arts colleges that combine outstanding quality with affordability. This year, Goshen College was ranked 73rd among liberal arts colleges, retaining its place as second among Indiana liberal arts colleges. 

Among all colleges, Goshen College was ranked 155th, placing it third among Indiana colleges and universities and among the top 5 percent of all 4-year colleges and universities for best value in the United States.

While continuing to maintain a quality college education and strong student satisfaction, Goshen College is also an affordable option by having a lower sticker price, offering significant financial aid packages and keeping graduation debt levels down.

• Goshen College costs 10 percent less than the national average for private colleges.
• Last year, 99 percent of all Goshen students received financial aid and the average aid package was $19,470.
• Goshen College graduates’ average debt is lower than the national average: GC was 57th among liberal arts colleges for least debt.

See an infographic outlining the value of a GC education

Goshen College and the other schools included in the 2014 lists represent the colleges that provide high-quality academics at a reasonable cost. The college exemplifies attributes that parents and students look for in higher education, including small class sizes, a good freshman retention rate and a high four-year graduation rate.

Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to measurable standards, including the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate.

“We salute this year’s top schools,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Balancing top-quality education with affordable cost is a challenge for families in today’s economy, which is why Kiplinger’s rankings are such a valuable resource. The schools on the 2015 list offer students the best of both worlds.”

The complete rankings are available online at kiplinger.com/links/college and will be published in the February 2015 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, on newsstands January 6, 2015. Web visitors will find special features, including a tool that lets readers sort by admission rate, average debt at graduation and other criteria for all schools, plus by in-state and out-of-state cost for public universities; a slide show of the top 10 schools in each category; archives of previous years’ rankings, and an FAQ about the ranking methodology.

All Indiana colleges and universities ranked by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance for 2013-14

47. University of Notre Dame
93. DePauw University
155. Goshen College
189. Purdue University
194. Butler University
217. University of Evansville
222. Earlham College
233. Wabash College
240. Hanover College
258. Valparaiso University
265. Indiana Wesleyan University
277. Indiana University