Forbes Recognizes Many SUNY Schools As 2019’s Best Value Colleges

The college decision process is often focused on many subjective components, from the quality of dorms and food to the personality of the faculty. But one thing that is of high priority across the board is the value of attending a specific college or university. Students want to know what they are investing in and to be sure that the money being committed to education is worth it. Here at SUNY, our efforts to provide an education of substance and value are regularly recognized by people and publications across the nation.

Forbes recently released it’s annual ranking of America’s Best Value Colleges for 2019 and many SUNY schools are again represented. The list is compiled by focusing on a human angle, placing a focus on value over prestige and keeping return on investment top of mind. In order to create the rankings, Forbes amassed and compared data on 645 colleges and universities across all 50 states. The categories used for scoring were as follows: quality; net debt; alumni earnings; timely graduation; and access for low-income students. Additionally, the list evaluates both public and private institutions offering four-year degrees, but it does not include private for-profit schools.

To determine quality, Forbes relies on its most recent America’s Top Colleges ranking, and for financials, they use information provided by the federal postsecondary database system called IPEDS.

Forbes judges each school’s net price, or sticker price for tuition, fees, and room and board minus the grants, scholarships, and education tax benefits students receive. For state schools such as SUNY, in-state tuition is used. Average federal debt load per student, timely (within six years) graduation rate, and midcareer alumni earnings (sourced from the DOE’s College Scorecard and PayScale) are used as well. Lastly, Pell Grant funding is also considered by scoring the percentage of each school’s student body receiving Pell Grants.

Many SUNY schools have been listed in the 2019 rankings, in positions that improve on past performance:

• Stony Brook University (#29)
• Binghamton University (#38)
• University at Buffalo (#71)
• University at Albany (#88)
• SUNY Geneseo (#115)
• Farmingdale State College (#152)
• SUNY New Paltz (#193)
• SUNY ESF (#210)
• SUNY Maritime College (#221)
• SUNY Oneonta (#282)

Whether it’s in person or online, value and excellence is one of the core components of the SUNY experience. As noted by Chancellor Johnson, “College education is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it is a ‘must have.’ Given that Americans with college degrees earn 80 percent more than high school graduates, the work at SUNY is critical. Currently, we serve over one million students a year, and we are committed to offering each student an excellent education. Our continued presence on the Forbes Best Value list is testament to the quality of SUNY’s schools, and our ability to help students change their lives while they pursue a higher education.”

You can view the entire list of 2019 Best Value Colleges at Forbes.com. Then, be sure to check out all SUNY schools for a complete look at all the programs and opportunities available to you.