Geneseo was recently placed first amongst universities ranked on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s 2015 list of the 24 best colleges in the nation that cost less than $30,000 per year to attend. The college also placed third for out-of-state students and 24th for in-state students on the Best Value in Public Schools list, 13th on the 25 Best Values in the Mid-Atlantic list and 57th Best Value on the magazine’s national list that includes both public and private colleges.
Kiplinger’s assesses a multitude of schools before making the lists, ranking all four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value. To calculate attendance cost figures, the magazine adds the cost of tuition, fees, room, board and books together. Sticker prices, financial aid and average debt at graduation are also looked at.
Kiplinger’s also takes quality into account, looking at numbers such as the admissions rate, percentage of students who return after their first year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate.
“I am truly proud of Geneseo for achieving this distinction,” Dean of the Ella Cline Shear School of Education Anjoo Sikka said. “As a public liberal arts college, it is critical that we provide excellent education in ways that promote student success and are financially accessible. It is clear that Geneseo achieves these goals.”
Sikka explained that these ideals are being carried out in numerous places across Geneseo, including within the college’s education department.
“In our teacher education programs at Geneseo, we strive to build on this deep preparation in the arts and sciences and provide our students with early and frequent experiences in P-12 settings under the guidance of our outstanding faculty and staff,” she said. “Our teacher candidates are the best advocates for the profession of teaching and for their own students”
Professors expressed their reactions to Geneseo’s first place standing as well, noting that their primary concern is the students.
“Looking at the standards this particular system says they measure, the [major] impact faculty have on our ranking is to teach well so that first-year students return as sophomores,” distinguished service professor Dennis Showers said. “I think our faculty do they best they can for reasons other than external rankings.”
Students have expressed their enthusiasm about the recent rankings as well.
“I’m very proud to be at a school where you can get a high quality education for an affordable price, especially because students’ education shouldn’t have to suffer just because they can’t afford private schools,” senior Allison Kopunek said. “It’s a nice thing that they can go to a good school without having to worry about money.”