(St. Mary’s City, MD) February 29, 2012— St. Mary’s College of Maryland has been named one of the top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance for 2012. The annual report cites four-year schools that deliver a quality education at an affordable price, a ranking that is based on the school’s high four-year graduation rate, low average student debt at graduation, abundant financial aid, low sticker price, and overall great value. This year, Kiplinger’s revamped the ratings to better reflect academic achievements. St. Mary’s College of Maryland ranked 42 on the list of 100 colleges.
“As states cut funding for higher education and tuition continues to climb, the word ‘value’ becomes more significant than ever,” said Jane Bennett Clark, senior editor at Kiplinger’s. “This year’s top 100 public schools deliver strong academics at reasonable prices. We applaud these institutions for tightening their belts without compromising quality.”
St. Mary’s College of Maryland was also chosen by the Princeton Review as one of the top 150 Best Value Colleges of 2012, based on institutional data and student opinion surveys collected from the nation’s 650 best undergraduate institutions. The list included 75 private colleges and 75 public colleges, all of which are profiled in The Princeton Review’s new book, The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition. The college profiles include information about campus culture, facilities, and financial aid offerings, as well as admissions advice and comments from students.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s profile in The Princeton Review’s The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition features student responses citing the “friendly” on-campus atmosphere, the “small and intimate learning environment,” and the ease of becoming involved on campus as favorite features of the college.
“Our rigorous academic programs are at the heart of the liberal arts education we offer,” said St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Joseph Urgo. “Our faculty and staff work hard to provide a productive and stimulating educational environment for our students, and I am pleased the result of that work is reflected in our rankings each year.”