Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has ranked the College of the Holy Cross No. 29 among all liberal arts colleges and No. 48 overall among all colleges in the country in its annual list of 100 best values in colleges for 2016. 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’s, they 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.
Holy Cross was also ranked No. 8 on Kiplinger’s list of “Colleges Where Students Graduate in 4 Years.” According to the article, “A strong four-year grad rate is perhaps the single best measure of a college's quality and affordability.” The article continues, “it demonstrates a college's ability to provide the resources and support that students need to complete their coursework in four years,” and also means “that students and parents are spared a fifth or sixth year of college costs.”
Kiplinger’s also ranked the 10 schools on the list according to high freshmen-retention rates, low student-faculty ratios and small classes, “all indicators of a supportive academic environment.” They also say of the institutions, a “high percentage of students also live on campus, forging a close-knit community where students can interact with their peers and professors.”
Last year, Holy Cross had a four-year graduation rate of 90 percent; a 94 percent freshmen-retention rate; and a 10:1 student-faculty ratio.
The rankings will appear in the February 2015 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, on newsstands January 5, 2015.
- View the Kiplinger “Best Value” colleges
- Read more about what makes Holy Cross unique on our Points of Pride page
This "Holy Cross in the News" item by Cristal Steuer.
