Magazine ranks ‘best value’ colleges
January 19, 2012
Mothers who are considering starting or going back to college to pursue a bachelor's degree often have to think about finances first. After all, enrolling in either a part-time or full-time program can be expensive. In addition, there are a lot of additional expenses parents must consider when deciding whether or not to make the move - child care, transportation, books and other supplies, for example.
Another consideration is that pursuing a degree is a job in and of itself, and with the time and energy needed to successfully do it, many parents will have to give up a job and the paycheck that comes with it.
The good news is that most parents can help finance their college education with the assistance of grants for parents, various college scholarships and other financial aid.
The fact that the decision is likely to pay off for them in the long run may also be a motivating factor. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 2009, the average salary for adults ages 25 to 34 with a bachelor's degree was $45,000, while those with a high school diploma or other equivalent degree earned an average of $30,000 per year.
Deciding where to enroll in school takes some consideration as well. Most people will spend time researching which colleges offer the major they want to pursue, which ones have the best reputation and which ones will allow them the greatest flexibility in making their dream a reality.
Many will also look for a school that offers them a great value for their money.
U.S. News & World Report recently released its annual list of best colleges and looked at the list to find the schools that offer students the biggest bang for their tuition buck.
The "Best Value Schools" lists name well-respected colleges and universities with great academic programs that offer students of all ages a great value.
"The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal," the publication states. "Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included, because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically."
While the publication ranked the best values among national universities and liberal arts colleges, it also broke down the list into the best value universities and colleges by region.
In the North, Villanova University, Alfred University, Bentley University, Cooper Union, Elizabethtown College and Lebanon Valley College were named as best values.
In the South, Rollins College, Converse College, Harding University, University of the Ozarks, West Virginia Wesleyan College and Milligan College topped the list.
In the Midwest, Creighton University, Valparaiso University, University of Evansville, College of the Ozarks, Blackburn College and Augustana College ranked highest.
And, in the West, Trinity University, Whitworth University, Seattle Pacific University, Carroll College, Texas Lutheran University and Howard Payne University offer students the best value for their tuition.
