TCNJ earns top ranking for NJ public colleges on “Kiplinger’s” 2011 “best value” list

The College is ranked at No. 21 on the list of the country’s 100 top value public colleges by “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine.”

Words by TCNJ's editorial staff

The College is ranked at No. 21 on the list of the country’s 100 top value public colleges by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine. The ranking is part of an annual  Kiplinger report, “Best Values In Public Colleges,” and appears in the February issue of the magazine.

The Kiplinger’s list ranks four-year institutions that “deliver a stellar education at an affordable price,” according to the magazine.

“Despite rising tuition costs, there are still many first-rate institutions providing outstanding academics at an affordable price,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s. “Schools like these on the Kiplinger 100 list prove graduates can enter the workforce with a great education—and without a huge cloud of debt.”

The College of New Jersey was among three New Jersey institutions to make the 2011 list, which also includes Ramapo College at No. 49 and Rutgers University at No. 51. The No. 21 spot ranking is for in-state tuition (up from No. 23 in 2010), while the College was ranked at No. 4 (up from No. 5 last year) for out-of-state tuition.

Selected from a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, schools that made the Kiplinger list were evaluated on quality measures such as admission rates, the test scores of incoming freshmen, and four- and six-year graduation rates. Cost data, including tuition, fees, the cost of room and board, and financial aid for in-state and out-of-state students, are then factored in. Best value rankings are determined by a consideration of  both academic quality and affordability.

To view the complete article, please visit www.kiplinger.com/reports/best-college-values/