California State University, Long Beach has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine’s 2015 list of the top universities costing under $30,000 per year. The school was ranked at no. 11 in the nation. The ranking recognizes four-year institutions that combine outstanding education with economic value.
The Kiplinger organization was founded in 1920 by W.M. Kiplinger, the company developed one of the nation’s first successful newsletters in modern times. The Kiplinger Letter, launched in 1923, remains the longest continuously published newsletter in the United States. In 1947, Kiplinger created the nation’s first personal finance magazine. The organization has led the way in personal finance and business forecasting.
Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to measurable standards, including admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker prices, financial aid and average debt at graduation.
Overall, CSULB was ranked no. 75, up from no. 82 last year and no. 98 the year before. CSULB was the no. 8 best in California behind only University of California institutions.
To come up with the best values, Kiplinger’s starts with data on almost 1,200 both public and private four-year schools provided by Peterson’s College Guide. Then they add their own reporting. The list is narrowed based on measures of academic quality. Each school is ranked using cost and financial aid measures. Quality criteria account for 55 percent of total points, and cost criteria account for 45 percent.
The complete rankings, including the top schools overall as well as the best values in public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges, are available online at kiplinger.com/links/college. The rankings will also appear in the February 2015 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, on newsstands Jan. 6, 2015.