Wesleyan Makes Kiplinger’s Best Value Listing for 7th Consecutive Year

Oct. 17, 2013               

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Kiplinger’s Personal Finance calls Illinois Wesleyan University the 60th best value among the nation’s private liberal arts colleges, in its annual rankings of the leading public and private colleges and universities.  This marks the seventh consecutive year that Wesleyan has been included among the national leaders in this ranking of academic quality and affordability.

“We have typically done well in Kiplinger’s ranking, because of our strong academic program and our commitment to making a Wesleyan education affordable for students and their families,” said President Richard F. Wilson. “Kiplinger’s is the second major publication to recently recognize the value we deliver and we’re delighted to appear on their list again.”

Kiplinger’s rankings measure academic quality and affordability. Academic criteria include the student admission rate (the number of students accepted out of those who apply), the test scores of incoming freshmen, the ratio of students to faculty members, and the four- and five-year graduation rates. On the cost side, Kiplinger’s measures the sticker price, the availability and average amount of need-based and merit-based financial aid, and the average student debt at graduation. 

“With President Obama’s recent emphasis on rating colleges and universities based on their value, our rankings serve as a valuable resource to help students and families make more informed choices,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Combining a high-quality education with an affordable price tag is a challenge, but the colleges on this year’s list offer the best of both worlds.”

Illinois Wesleyan has been ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in a number of recently released college rankings including the U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Colleges” ranking (65th), and two Washington Monthly rankings “Best Private Colleges” (47th) and “Best Bang for the Buck” private colleges (47th).

Contact: Matt Kurz, (309) 556-3203