New Paltz ranked second in list of top 50 affordable colleges

NEW PALTZ – The State University of New York at New Paltz has been ranked No. 2 in the Affordable Colleges Online list of “Top 50 Affordable Colleges with a High ROI,” a list of the nation’s most affordable colleges with the biggest return on investment (ROI).

“This recognition from Affordable Colleges Online reflects our ongoing efforts to provide an excellent education to each of our students while also remaining sensitive to the expense of a college education,” said L. David Eaton, vice president of enrollment management at New Paltz.

Affordable Colleges Online created this list by factoring data about 875 public and private colleges and universities in the United States with tuition under $40,000 per year. The selection methodology analyzed data using third-party data sets, including National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Carnegie Classification, and Payscale.com.

A profile of New Paltz, which highlights the College’s top rankings, intellectual atmosphere, environmentally friendly buildings, and award-winning faculty members, and the complete list of “Top 50 Affordable Colleges with a High ROI” appears online on the company’s website at http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/affordable-colleges-with-high-returns/. New Paltz is placed 2nd on the list with an ROI of $644,500 with tuition and fees of $5,270 and an average starting salary of $41,800.

Earlier this year, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine ranked New Paltz in the top 100 best values in the nation for public four-year institutions that deliver a high quality education at an affordable price; U.S. News & World Report ranked New Paltz 7th among best public regional universities in the North with both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs; and The Princeton Review selected New Paltz for inclusion in its 2013 Guide to 322 Green Colleges.

The mission of Affordable Colleges Online is to promote affordable education options. This list recognizes colleges that combine affordability with academic excellence. The colleges on this list produce graduates who are desirable and valuable to the work force as evidenced by higher salaries, yet the tuitions are relatively more affordable so students can take on less debt.