Truman was rated as the No. 1 value in the nation among public colleges and universities in the current issue of Consumers Digest.
The magazine examined more than 2,000 U.S. schools that offer four-year degrees. In addition to a list of the top 50 public schools, separate top 25 lists for private schools and private liberal arts schools were combined to establish the top 100 best values.
Truman, which was also the No. 1 public school the last time Consumers Digest examined higher education in 2011, was the only Missouri public school to make this year’s list.
Consumers Digest compiles a unique ranking by measuring academic excellence alongside costs of education. Established indicators of quality, such as a school’s graduation rates, student-retention rates and percentage of faculty members with a Ph.D., are combined with the standardized test scores, high school rank and grade point average of first-time freshmen. Those factors are weighed against the cost of attendance to determine which schools offered the most academic value per dollar.
“This demonstrates that quality education can still be provided at a reasonable cost, and that we are filling that need better than anyone,” said University President Troy Paino. “Parents can rest assured that a Truman education means their student will leave school well prepared and without stifling debt.”
The Consumers Digest rankings were calculated using only nonresident tuition figures. Even accounting for the higher out-of-state rate, Truman’s annual cost of $21,018, which includes tuition, fees and room and board, was well below the average annual cost of $30,655 for top public colleges and universities on the Consumers Digest list.
The complete rankings, along with a feature story on how to make higher education more affordable, can be found in the May/June issue of Consumers Digest magazine, available now.
