The first “early decision” applications for college are due Nov. 1, and tuition and room and board at a four-year college in the United States costs around $23,000 to $52,000 per year.
WalletHub released its 2023’s Best College and University Rankings.
The personal finance website’s report helps college-bound high school seniors choose the best schools within the state they live in.
Data was collected by comparing more than 900 higher education institutions in the U.S. based on 30 key measures in seven categories. Categories include student selectivity, cost and financing, and career outcomes. Data includes student-faculty ratio, graduation rates and post-attendance median salary.
The Top 10 Colleges and Universities in Virginia are:
- University of Virginia
- Washington and Lee University
- University of Richmond
- William & Mary
- Virginia Tech
- Virginia Military Institute
- Hampden-Sydney College
- Regent University
- Randolph-Macon College
- James Madison University
UVA is first for graduation rate, and second for admission rate and post-attendance median salary, according to WalletHub’s report. The university is fifth for gender and racial diversity and 13th for on-campus crime.
Washington and Lee University ranks first in admission rate, student-faculty ratio, graduation rate and post-attendance median salary, while coming in 19th for on-campus crime.
Experts provided comments on whether Ivy League and other name brand colleges and universities are worth the cost.
“It depends. For most students, the answer is ‘No’. However, for those aspiring to attend an elite institution for a graduate degree, an Ivy League undergraduate degree may deliver a higher likelihood of acceptance,” Dr. Linda Serra Hagedorn, Professor Emeritus at Iowa State University, said in a press release. “For those wishing to enter politics, or aspire for an elite position with multi-national companies like Google, Facebook, and others, pedigree is important. However, for most students seeking a baccalaureate degree, an award from an Ivy League is not necessary. A good undergraduate GPA, a strong application essay, and a degree from a fully accredited not-for-profit postsecondary institution can get most students into medical schools, law schools, and graduate programs in most degree-granting institutions.”
Associate Professor Emeritus at Indiana University Bloomington Alex McCormick, who is also former director for National Survey of Student Engagement, said the answer is not a simple yes or no.
“For one thing, a substantial fraction of students at those schools receives financial aid, some of which is provided by the institutions themselves and partially financed by students who are paying full price. So, the actual cost to students can vary a lot. ‘Worth it’ is also complicated. It could mean educational benefits, labor market returns, access to grad school, bragging rights and ego boosts, or some combination of these. There’s not much evidence that they confer large educational benefits versus other schools, but you also need to consider retention. Private and selective schools (public or private) tend to retain their students at higher rates, so those students are much more likely to graduate. But there’s fairly strong evidence that the quality of the educational experience varies far more between students than between colleges. It’s a matter of how much students are willing to put into the experience and take advantage of the educational opportunities available,” McCormick said.
Experts responded to whether college tuition should be free, and how else can Americans make college more affordable.
“Yes, community colleges should be tuition free as a first step toward a tuition-free model that also includes four-year public institutions,” Professor and Department Chair of the School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles Cecelia Rios-Aquilar said in the press release. “Furthermore, the federal government and states need to incentivize colleges that find innovative ways to make college more affordable. There are creative partnerships that can help serve low-income students of color…There is also the potential to help fund and grow community college baccalaureate programs across the country. These programs are great opportunities to increase the number of people (particularly adult learners and low-income students of color) who obtain baccalaureate degrees and then can find concrete job opportunities locally.”
Dr. Lisa Wolf-Wendel, professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Kansas also agrees that community colleges should be tuition-free.
“In our current political and fiscal climate, however, I don’t think it is reasonable to expect that four-year public institutions could be tuition free in most states because the amount of state support that they have received has declined precipitously over the last 50 years,” Wolf-Wendel said. “In many states, one might consider public institutions to be ‘state assisted’ rather than ‘state supported.’ While higher education should be seen as a ‘public good’ and funded appropriately, it is generally considered to be a ‘private good’ and thus has received decreasing public funding, with the burden of paying placed on the student. Unless states reverse this trend, which seems unlikely, it seems as though the trend of students and their families paying the price to attend will continue. I would love to see college become more affordable – but that will only be the case if the public values higher education and is willing to fund it. I don’t see that happening in the near future. Private institutions, by definition, are not state-supported – so they will never be tuition free.”
What tips to experts offer for students looking to graduate with minimal debt and great job prospects.
“One great avenue is to go into the workforce right after high school and work for an organization that has a tuition remission program or college partnership program,” Dr. Corey Seemiller, professor at Wright State University, said. “This would allow the student to make money while going to school, which is paid for by their workplace, and then work their way up through the organization while they are in school.”
Richard H Bauscher, Clinical Associate Professor at University of Idaho, said minimal debt can be reduced by acquiring scholarships, grants and other financial aid for college.
“Choosing a college that has lower tuition with great programs makes them more cost-effective,” Bauscher said. “Great job prospects come from selecting the fields of high demand for graduates with great pay. The student attending the college can make or break themself by how hard they work to achieve a great education with high grades and strong recommendations from the faculty & staff.
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Rebecca Barnabi
