New Paltz named one of nation’s best values in quality public higher education

New Paltz – The State University of New York at New Paltz is ranked among the top 100 best values in the nation for public four-year institutions that deliver a stellar education at an affordable price, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s annual rankings.

New Paltz ranked 36th, climbing from 78th on the Kiplinger’s list two years ago and 53rd on last year’s list. “Our climb in the Kiplinger’s ranking parallels the continuing increases in our graduation and retention rates, reported in other recent news,” said Donald Christian, Interim President at New Paltz. “We are honored by the rankings and recognition. But we are most proud of the underlying student success, which is at the core of the mission and purpose of the College.”

“Despite rising tuition costs, there are still many first-rate institutions providing outstanding academics at an affordable price,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s. “Schools like these on the Kiplinger 100 list prove graduates can enter the workforce with a great education—and without a huge cloud of debt.”

The annual public school rankings appear in Kiplinger’s February 2011 issue—on newsstands today (Tuesday, Jan. 4) and online at www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges.

New Paltz, along with 10 other SUNY campuses, made Kiplinger’s top 100 list.

“The number of SUNY campuses on the list is really quite remarkable and stands out from other states,” said Christian . “This reflects the high caliber and low cost of higher education opportunities available within SUNY for New York residents.”

Private colleges have lately run about $36,000 a year, according to Kiplinger’s —a sharp contrast to the public schools on Kiplinger’s top 100 list, in which 20 charge the same as or less than the average annual in-state sticker price of $16,140. Plus, the deals aren’t restricted to in-state students. At Binghamton University (SUNY), which takes the top spot in value for out-of-state students, non-New Yorkers pay $27,535 a year, less than the national average of $28,130, Kiplinger’s reports.

Ranking Methodology

Selected from a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, schools in the Kiplinger 100 were ranked according to academic quality, including admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates, as well as on cost and financial aid. More methodology specifics—as well as sortable rankings and other interactive features—are available at: www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges. For nine decades, the Kiplinger organization has provided personal finance and business forecasting.

The strong performance by New Paltz in Kiplinger’s comes on the heels of this summer’s rankings in the 2011 edition of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report where New Paltz is 7th among the best public universities and 33rd among both public and private universities in the North.