Geneseo was ranked first for out-of-state students and ninth for in-state students in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s 2013 list of best values among the nation’s public four-year colleges.
According to Kiplinger’s, “Having endured cuts in state appropriations over the past several years, colleges have bumped up class sizes and trimmed administrative staff. Meanwhile, the average sticker price – $17,860 for in-staters and $30,911 for out-of-staters, according to the College Board – climbed 4.2 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively, over last year, once again outpacing inflation and family incomes.”
Kiplinger’s added that, despite the ever-rising tuition for public colleges, Geneseo “takes top honors for its combination of academic quality and affordability.” According to Kiplinger’s, Geneseo beat University of North Carolina for the top spot for out-of-state value, based primarily on total cost.
Although Kiplinger’s ranked Geneseo the ninth top value for in-state students, this ranking does not mean that in-state students do not get the full value out-of-state students receive. According to Kiplinger’s, in-state total cost for a Geneseo education is $18,519, which shrinks to $14,047 after accounting for need.
Kiplinger’s also said that Geneseo “makes a point of selecting smart students” with a competitive admissions rate of 43 percent. According to Kiplinger’s, Geneseo’s four-year graduation rate of 69 percent is one of the highest in Kiplinger’s top 100 rankings.
“I think that we fulfill a very distinct niche, which is to offer a very high-quality education for a reasonable price,” Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Bill Caren said. “It’s been a long time developing our reputation to develop Geneseo as a first-rate liberal arts college that’s every bit as good as what you’d get in some of our competing institutions.”
“I think we ranked so well for three reasons,” President Christopher Dahl said. “First, we are among the most selective undergraduate public institutions in the nation. Seconly, our academic college is comparable to private institutions that cost between $55,000 and $65,000 per year. Third, we are an outrageous, terriffic bargian for in-state and out-of-state students.”
“Kiplinger’s gave us the possibility of receiving national attention as a public institution. They put us in the company of flagship public institutions,” Dahl said. “More people outside of New York State should know about how good we are. We are top value before Michigan, UVA, North Carolina, William and Mary, UCLA and other public institution.”
“New York and the SUNY system should fund us according to our level of quality as opposed to the same funds that every SUNY receives,” Dahl added.
Caren said that the student body is a key factor in making the college a top value.
“I think students know intuitively that what makes the campus more than anything else is the quality of the students,” Caren said. “When you go to the campus you’re going to spend more time with them than anyone else and that’s going to shape the quality of the learning experience.”
According to Caren, Kiplinger’s helps parents manage their finances long term.