LSU selected as Best Value in Public Colleges | News

BATON ROUGE – LSU has been selected as a best value on both Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the “Best Values in Public Colleges, 2013” and “The Princeton Review 100 Best Value Colleges for 2013,” presented by USA Today.

“LSU has consistently been ranked as a best value by publications like Kiplinger’s and Princeton Review,” said LSU Interim President and Interim Chancellor William Jenkins. “These rankings prove yet again that LSU offers a great, quality education for a good price. In these tough economic times, we must maintain the highest standard of education possible for the citizens of our state and beyond.” 

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance annually names the 100 best values in public colleges, ranking four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value. This year, LSU ranks 90 overall for in-state student value, and out-of-state student value, LSU is ranked 100.

Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to a number of measurable standards. The editors at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance start with data from nearly 600 public four-year schools. The list is then narrowed down to about 130 schools based on measures of academic quality – including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and four- and six-year graduation rates. The editors then rank each school based on cost and financial aid. Academic quality carries more weight than costs. Cost criteria include low sticker prices, abundant financial aid and low average debt at graduation.

The public school rankings appeared in Kiplinger’s February 2013 issue and online now at www.kiplinger.com/links/college.

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