SJU, CSB both listed among liberal arts Best College Values

Both Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict were ranked among Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine’s list of the 100 Best College Values for 2018 among private liberal arts colleges.

SJU checked in at No. 85 on the list, while CSB was at No. 93. Davidson (North Carolina) College led this listing for the first time, which was released Friday, Dec. 22.

The magazine also compiled a listing of the 300 Best College Values, which combines public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges into a single, comprehensive list. In that listing, SJU ranked No. 200, while CSB sat at No. 231. Princeton University led the combined listing, moving up two spots from last year.

The magazine’s analysis is based on objective measurements of academic quality and affordability, not subjective data.

The editors at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance start with data from nearly 1,200 public and private four-year schools, provided by Peterson’s Undergraduate Database. The list is then narrowed to the top schools based on measures of academic quality, including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four-year graduation rates. The editors then rank the schools using cost and financial aid measures. Academic quality carries more weight than costs.

The full rankings will appear in print in the February 2018 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, on sale Jan. 9. The magazine has produced these rankings since 1998.