On December 15, 2016, °¾±±č±ō¾±²Ō²µ±š°łās Personal Finance released its of the top 300 āBest College Values.ā °¾±±č±ō¾±²Ō²µ±š°łās ranks their top 100 public universities based on both in-state and out-of-state cost of attendance. The ĀŅĀ×ÉēĒų was ranked #12 among public universities in value for in-state students and #24 among public universities in value for out-of-state students. This continues a history of high rankings for the UW. Over the past five years, the UW has ranked #17 or better for in-state students, and #28 or better for out-of-state students, each year.
The calculations for °¾±±č±ō¾±²Ō²µ±š°łās rankings are based on quality criteria (which account for 55 percent of an institutionās overall ranking) and cost criteria (which account for the remaining 45 percent). Quality criteria include:
- Measures of competitiveness and selectivity (admission rate, percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll, and ACT and SAT scores of incoming freshmen);
- Four-year graduation rate; and
- Measures of academic support (freshman retention rate and student-to-faculty ratio).
Cost criteria include:
- Total cost (including tuition and fees as well as books and room and board, with added points for āschools that reduce the price through need-based [grant] aidā or āknock down the price through non-need-based aidā) and
- Student indebtedness (studentsā average debt at graduation and the percentage of students who borrow).
Because public institutions typically have different tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state students, °¾±±č±ō¾±²Ō²µ±š°łās provides two separate rankings. While the quality criteria used in both rankings are the same, only in-state studentsā cost of attendance factors into the in-state ranking (and likewise for the out-of-state ranking).
As the °¾±±č±ō¾±²Ō²µ±š°łās ranking is based on selectiveness, academic outcomes, and cost, it should not be interpreted as either a ābest collegesā list or a āmost affordableā list. Among the top 10 public institutions for in-state students, for example, some institutions (e.g., College of William and Mary) are highly selective but more expensive, while others (e.g., University of Florida) have more inclusive admissions and lower four-year graduation rates but are more affordable.
For in-state students, the UW compares strongly with the highest-ranked public institutions on measures of affordability. For example, the UWās cost of attendance for in-state students, after applying need-based aid, is $7,800 per year. The average cost among the top 10 in-state is 50 percent higher, at $11,700. UW studentsā average debt at graduation is also lower, by about $2,000, than the average for top-10 institutions. Although the UWās admit rate is higher and its four-year graduation rate is lower than some other top institutionsā, its relative affordability contributes to a strong ranking (#12 in the nation) for in-state students.
The UWās higher cost for out-of-state students contributes to an out-of-state ranking of #24. For out-of-state students, the UWās cost of attendance after need-based aid ($31,800) is slightly higher than the average among top-10 institutions ($31,300).
More information about °¾±±č±ō¾±²Ō²µ±š°łās methodology is available on .