Carlow University is listed among the top 20 Best-Bang-for-the-Buck private colleges in the country by Washington Monthly.
Carlow University is listed in the top 20 private colleges and the top 100 overall on Washington Monthly’s annual ranking of more than 1,500 colleges that provide the “best bang for the buck.” Carlow University is also the only private college in Pennsylvania that made the cut for top 20. Washington Monthly awards highest marks to colleges that are both effective and inexpensive.
“We are pleased an independent source like Washington Monthly has confirmed what we have known about Carlow,” said Suzanne Mellon, PhD, President of Carlow University. “Our mission when Carlow was founded 84 years ago was to not only provide students with a personalized education that prepares them for a career and for life, but to educate people who are not being served by other schools. We are still fulfilling that mission today.”
Of the 1,572 colleges and universities considered, only 349 made the list. Each year, the 44-year old Washington, D.C.-based magazine publishes a list of the colleges in America “that do the best job of helping non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.” Schools were ranked according to three main criteria, including recruiting those with modest means, meeting a specific graduation rate threshold, and ability of graduates to earn enough in the workforce to pay back their student loans.
Carlow was ranked 96th overall (public and private) and 19th among just the private schools. Notably, Carlow was one of only three schools from Pennsylvania among the top 100, one of only two Catholic schools among the top 100, and the only Pennsylvania school on the list of private colleges. The closest Top 20 ranked institution geographically is more than 370 miles away from Pittsburgh.
“Our rankings aim to identify institutions that are acting on behalf of the true public interest,” says Robert Kelchen, editor of the 2013 College Rankings. “The Washington Monthly‘s college guide demonstrates that it’s possible to serve a variety of public interests and provide a great college experience at the same time.”
The full list of Washington Monthly’s 2013 Best-Bang-for-the-Buck rankings can be found at www.washingtonmonthly.com. The ranking methodology is available here.