Source: Pat Bosco, 785-532-6237, bosco@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-1544, bbohn@k-state.edu
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012
A best buy: New guide lists K-State among the best values in the nation
MANHATTAN -- A new guide lists Kansas State University as one of the top undergraduate schools in the nation offering excellent academics, generous financial aid and/or a relatively low cost of attendance.
The university is included in "The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition," a new book by the Princeton Review that identifies the top 75 public and top 75 private colleges and universities as true values when it comes to getting a quality education.
"It's a big deal for K-State to be singled out among the nation's best for affordability and value," said Pat Bosco, university vice president for student life and dean of students. "With more than 250 academic programs and majors, award-winning and caring faculty, and a dedicated student life staff, our students find the educational opportunities and services they need to succeed. Our record-breaking enrollment this fall shows we are not only the university of choice in Kansas, but our affordability and great classroom experience are making us a valued choice in the Midwest and beyond."
The guide draws attention to the fact that Kansas State University helps its students with more than $16 million in scholarships awarded each year, and that seven out of 10 students receive financial aid, scholarships, work-study or a combination of them. The university's in-state tuition is recognized as a great deal in the guide. Also highlighted is that doctoral-level instructors teach most of the courses offered by the university.
Schools were selected for the new guide on analyses of data collected from an initial list of 650 institutions the Princeton Review identified as having excellent academics. More than 30 data points were assessed across three primary areas: academics, cost of attendance and financial aid. Cost and financial aid data came from the Princeton Review's fall 2011 surveys of school administrators. Data on academics came from its fall 2010 through fall 2011 surveys of school administrators. The Princeton Review also factored in data from surveys of students who shared assessments of their professors and their satisfaction with their financial aid awards.
"We commend Kansas State University and all of the extraordinary colleges on our 2012 'Best Value Colleges' list for all they are doing to keep costs down and/or offer generous aid to applicants with financial need -- all while maintaining excellent academic programs," said Robert Franek, Princeton Review's senior vice president/publisher and lead author of "The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition."
Such recognition is part of Kansas State University's goal of becoming a top 50 public research university by 2025. The university has previously been cited by other Princeton Review guides, including "The Best 376 Colleges" for 2012 and "The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition." In addition, U.S. News and World Report called Kansas State University one of America's best colleges in 2011.
