aerial view of Western's campus at night, with golden lights surrounded by dark trees

Kiplinger’s Again Ranks WWU Among 100 Best Values in Public Higher Education

Western Washington University is one of the 100 best values in public colleges, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. The ranking, released today, cites four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value.

Kiplinger’s magazine ranks Western 92nd on its list of the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2017.

Western has appeared on the list multiple times, a testament to the consistent value the university offers. Western was 92nd on the list for 2017; 89th for 2016; 91st on the list for 2015; 93rd on the list in 2014; ranked 74th in 2013 and 81st in 2012.

For context, there are more than 2,600 accredited four-year institutions in the country, according to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and Western and the University of Washington are the only public universities in the state listed among the top 100 best values for public universities.

Western also has consistently received strong rankings in U.S. News & World Report surveys of colleges and universities in the nation. Western is the highest ranking public, master’s-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to U.S. News & World Report college rankings.

Kiplinger assesses value by measurable standards of academic quality and affordability. Quality measures include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation.

Kiplinger’s offers a combined list of the 300 best values in private liberal arts colleges, private universities and public colleges to show how the top schools in each of the categories compare with the others. They also present the top 100 private universities, top 100 liberal arts colleges and top 100 public colleges. The complete rankings are now available online at: https://www.kiplinger.com/article/college/T014-C000-S002-kiplinger-s-best-college-values-2018.html.