Rankings

Transylvania University has been named in The Princeton Review’s 2018 edition of “Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck.”  Transylvania has long aimed to keep its tuition and fees competitive with the top colleges in the nation—currently it costs almost $10,000 less than the average top-100 private liberal arts college. Students graduate with 15 percent less debt than the average private school borrower. This annual guidebook, now in its fourth year, is the education services company’s resource for college-bound students and their parents shopping for affordable, academically outstanding colleges that graduate their students to successful, rewarding careers. The full lists, profiles and information on the project methodology are accessible at www.princetonreview.com/colleges-pay-you-back. The Princeton Review chose the 200 schools for this edition based on a comprehensive analysis of data from its surveys of administrators at more than 650 colleges in 2016-17. Survey topics broadly covered academics, cost, financial aid, career services, graduation rates, student debt and alumni support. The company also factored in data from PayScale.com surveys of alumni of the schools about their starting and mid-career salaries and job satisfaction. In all, more than 40+ data points were crunched to select the 200 schools for the book and tally its seven ranking lists. Only 7 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges made it into this book, noted Robert Franek, its lead author and The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. These schools were bona fide standouts

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Kiplinger’s Personal Finance today once again named Transylvania University as one of the nation’s Best College Values. The magazine’s ranking recognizes schools for both academic quality and affordability, specifically measuring factors such as four-year graduation rate, total cost and financial aid. “I think families are surprised when they hear how affordable a Transylvania education is—even compared to the cost of a public university,” said Holly Sheilley, vice president for enrollment and student life. “Our students, who come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, are prepared to pursue higher degrees or start great careers after they graduate without being overburdened with debt.” In fact, student loan debt is lower at Transylvania than at the average state public university. Also, the typical financial aid package for incoming students was $26,643 last year, and 98 percent of students received gift-aid they didn’t have to pay back. These savings are on top of the fact Transylvania costs about $10,000 less than the average top-100 liberal arts college. In addition to today’s Kiplinger ranking, Transylvania has earned many similar recognitions for providing a quality education at an affordable price. For example, the university made the nation’s top 10 in the USA Today/College Factual’s Best Colleges for the Money. Transylvania also recently was named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Value Schools among liberal arts universities and Money’s Best Colleges for Your Money. Kiplinger ranks Transylvania 104th among all colleges and 54th among liberal

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Princeton Review this week included Transylvania University in a book featuring the top 15 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges. “We picked the 382 ‘best’ colleges for our book primarily for their outstanding academics: We highly recommend each one,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and lead author of “The Best 382 Colleges: 2018 Edition.” Known for its college admissions, tutoring and test prep services, the The Princeton Review surveyed students at the country’s top schools for the annual publication. Transylvania students said their school is known for its “academic rigor” and “high quality education.” Additionally, the university’s grounding in the liberal arts “empowers individuals to … become good, informed citizens.” The Princeton Review also highlighted positive feedback about Transylvania’s professors, who are “exceptional at fostering critical thought,” treat students as scholars, value their input and provide help outside the classroom—including finding them internships. The book mentioned Transylvania’s welcoming and diverse student body as well. “There is never a day that you don’t stop and say hello to someone on the way to class, or recognize a face on campus,” one student said. Students also noted the benefits of being in the heart of downtown Lexington, including nearby farmers markets and volunteer opportunities. “Yesterday, for instance, I volunteered at the Hope Center, a local homeless shelter which provides clean lodgings and offers free meals to anyone who needs them,” another student said. In addition to including Transylvania

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LEXINGTON, KY—MONEY Magazine on Thursday ranked Transylvania University among Kentucky’s top 10 colleges when it comes to return on investment after graduation. MONEY ranks colleges based on 27 measures of educational quality, affordability and alumni success. Specific metrics include graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio and graduates’ earnings. “College is now the second-largest financial expenditure for many families, exceeded only by the purchase of a home,” according to MONEY. “So it isn’t surprising that parents and students are taking a hard look at the costs and payoffs of any college they consider.” Transylvania stands up well to this kind of scrutiny. It costs about $10,000 less than the average top-100 liberal arts college, and 98 percent of all students receive aid that they don’t have to pay back. In addition to making MONEY’S Best Colleges in the nation list, Transylvania has appeared in other recent prestigious rankings. The school was named one of the country’s 10 best colleges for value by USA Today/College Factual. This ranking considered Transylvania’s educational quality, as well as factors such as tuition, grants, scholarships and the average number of years it takes students to earn a degree. Also, Washington Monthly said Transylvania is one of the South’s Best Bangs for the Buck, and Kiplinger’s Best College Values of 2017 listed Transylvania 60th among the nation’s liberal arts schools.