Kiplinger Ranks Holy Cross No. 15 ‘Best Value’ Liberal Arts College

College also ranks No. 27 overall among colleges in the country

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Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has ranked the College of the Holy Cross No. 15 on its list of the top 100 best values in liberal arts colleges and No. 27 on its list of the top 300 best values in all colleges in the country for 2017. Introduced in 1998, the rankings highlight public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges that combine outstanding academics with affordable cost.

According to Kiplinger, the outlet assesses quality according to measurable standards, including the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation.

Holy Cross is one of a select group of colleges and universities that accept students regardless of their ability to pay (“need-blind admissions”) and then meet 100 percent of demonstrated need. Nearly two-thirds of Holy Cross students receive some form of aid.

Last year, Holy Cross had a four-year graduation rate of 89 percent; a freshmen-retention rate of 96 percent; and a student-faculty ratio of 9:1.

The rankings will appear in the February 2017 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, on newsstands January 3, 2017.