New College Moves Up to Nation’s No. 2 “Best Value” In Princeton Review’s 2014 Rankings

New College of Florida has been ranked the No. 2 “Best Value Public College in America” for 2014 by The Princeton Review, one of America’s best-known education services companies, and as reported by USA Today.
New College moved up one place in the rankings, from the No. 3 position last year.
The appearance continues New College’s six-year run of placing among Princeton Review’s top three public schools that offer exceptional academics at an affordable price. New College was ranked No. 2 in 2011 and 2009, and No. 3 in 2013, 2012 and 2010.
New College is one of only three other U.S. public colleges that have made Princeton Review’s top ten for all six years.
“We’re pleased that Princeton Review recognizes that year after year, New College has provided an education of the highest quality, and at a cost that is significantly lower than that of almost all of the country’s leading colleges and universities,” said Dr. Donal O’Shea, president of New College.
The Princeton Review’s 2013 list features 75 public and 75 private colleges, and ranks the top 10 in each category for their “stellar academics and financial aid.”
“They’re exceptional schools, academically, that are giving out generous financial aid and keeping their sticker prices low,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher of Princeton Review and lead author of “The Best Value Colleges.”
New College of Florida is the State of Florida’s honors college for the liberal arts and sciences. With a student population of just over 800, New College emphasizes individualized learning for students from 38 states and 20 foreign countries. It is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the nation for both academics and value by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes.com, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and other media outlets.
Among the College’s notable achievements:
– It produces more Fulbright Scholarship recipients per capita than almost all U.S. colleges and universities, with 56 in the last decade and 33 in the past five years.
– Nearly 20 percent of its graduates are in the “STEM” fields of science, technology, math and engineering, one of the highest percentages in the nation.
– About 30 percent of students receive Pell Grants, which support low-income families, also one of the highest percentages in the country.
– More than half of all New College students graduate with no debt.
The Princeton Review used institutional data and student surveys from Fall 2012 to Fall 2013 to assess 650 colleges nationwide. It examines 30 criteria, including academic performance, costs and financial aid.
It also considers the percentage of students who take out loans, and the average debt those students have at graduation. It then selects 75 public and 75 private colleges as the best values, ranks the top 10 schools in each category, and then lists the rest in alphabetical order.
The “Best Value” schools rankings are available on the Princeton Review website and at the USA Today website.
For the 2012-2013 academic year, New College’s in-state tuition and fees are $6,783.