1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Rankings

Kiplinger ranks Transylvania among top liberal arts schools for value

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LEXINGTON, Ky.— Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has ranked Transylvania University as one of the nation’s best values for a liberal arts education. The magazine’s Best College Values of 2017 weighs both academic excellence and cost criteria—such as sticker price, financial aid and debt. This ranking, which was released Thursday, comes on the heels of several other recognitions for Transylvania, including a top-10 spot in USA Today/College Factual’s Best Colleges for the Money and Washington Monthly’s Best Bang for the Buck in the South. “Any way you look at it, Transylvania offers a top-notch liberal arts education at an affordable price,” said Holly Sheilley, vice president for enrollment and student life. “We understand the challenges families face in paying for college, so we strive to give them the best possible return on investment.” In fact, Transylvania costs about $10,000 less than the average top-100 liberal arts college. Additionally, the average financial aid package for incoming students was $26,643 last year, and 98 percent of all students received aid that they didn’t have to pay back. This kind of assistance is why Transylvania ranks 60th among the nation’s liberal arts schools in Kiplinger’s Best College Values of 2017. “There’s no way around it: College is expensive, and it’s going to stay that way for a long time. So, with our rankings…our goal is to help students and their parents understand what’s really worth the price,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

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Transylvania ranks in top 10 nationally for best value; among nation’s premier liberal arts schools overall

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University ranks as one of the 10 best U.S. colleges for value, and overall as one of the nation’s premier liberal arts schools. USA Today/College Factual’s recent Best Colleges for the Money ranking lists the university 10th among more than 1,000 schools. Also, the U.S. News list of Best Colleges released today once again places Transylvania among the country’s top 100 liberal arts schools. “We are pleased to consistently rank among the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges,” Transylvania president Seamus Carey said. “Recognitions such as these reflect the quality of our incoming classes and the education they receive—at a great value compared to most of the rest of the U.S. News top-100 liberal arts schools.” Ninety-eight percent of Transylvania’s students receive assistance that reduces tuition, making it an attractive option—even when compared to public universities—for families on a tight budget. The USA Today ranking considers the educational quality of an institution as well as factors such as tuition, grants, scholarships and the average number of years it takes students to earn a degree. “The bigger the difference between the school’s quality and its cost, the more quality education you are getting for the dollar and thus the higher the value for the money,” according to College Factual, the service used by USA Today. In today’s U.S. News ranking, Transylvania placed 46th in the Best Value category for national liberal arts colleges. The university also tied for 83rd among

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Forbes ranks Transylvania high nationally in return on investment

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Two recent Forbes lists rank Transylvania University among the nation’s best colleges for student outcomes and alumni giving. Transylvania places among the top 10 percent of U.S. colleges for general return on investment—measures such as post-graduate success, satisfaction and student debt—and among the top 4 percent of colleges in grad donations and participation rate. “These rankings reinforce what we already know: Our strong liberal arts tradition provides students with not only the skills that employers value but also with an experience that will help them lead meaningful lives,” President Seamus Carey said. Transylvania takes extra steps to ensure its grads excel. For example, the 100 Doors to Success mentorship program pairs students with alumni who have a wealth of work and life experience to share. Successful outcomes are at the heart of the Forbes lists. America’s Top Colleges 2016 ranks schools not by what it takes to get accepted into them (such as SAT scores), but by how students benefit from attending these institutions. “It is our answer to the debate over whether higher education is worth it: For these outstanding institutions, we give a resounding yes,” according to Forbes. In addition to considering salary, the Top Colleges list measures success through achievements such as leadership and innovation. The business magazine’s 2016 Grateful Grad Colleges measures return on investment in a different way—monetary support by alumni. “The best colleges produce crop after crop of successful graduates that show their appreciation

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Kiplinger names Transylvania a 2016 Best College Value

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LEXINGTON, Ky.— Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has named Transylvania University one of the best values in the nation. The magazine, which looked at which colleges combined outstanding academics with affordability, ranked Transylvania in the top 12 percent of the schools reviewed. “This is one of many reliable, data-driven sources that identify Transylvania as an excellent value,” said Rhyan Conyers, interim vice president for enrollment. “Higher education is a significant investment of time and financial resources, and it’s important to us that we deliver an outstanding value to our students and families.” Kiplinger editor Janet Bodnar offered practical advice about the ranking. “Families can use the list as a starting point and then tailor it to each student’s preference for such things as size, location, campus culture and major,” she said. The magazine included 1,200 schools in its review, which also placed Transylvania 64th among the country’s liberal arts colleges. When ranking the schools, Kiplinger considered criteria such as admission and graduation rates, student-faculty ratio, tuition cost and financial aid. Transylvania is committed to providing a top-tier education for the lowest cost possible. For instance, 98 percent of its students receive financial aid, and first-year students are awarded an average of $22,147 in scholarships and grants. Additionally, the university guarantees graduation in four years, covering tuition beyond that time for those who’ve met academic and course-load goals. The Kiplinger ranking is among several recent recognitions for Transylvania. Others include a U.S. News & World

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Transylvania makes U.S. News & World Report top liberal arts colleges list

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University earned a spot among the nation’s top liberal arts colleges in a U.S. News & World Report list released today. Transylvania ranked among the country’s best 100 liberal arts schools for a variety of reasons, including its excellent faculty, acceptance rate, alumni giving, financial resources and high school counselor ratings. “This ranking once again reinforces Transylvania’s standing as a top-tier U.S. liberal arts school,” President Seamus Carey said. “Our students learn from dedicated, engaging professors. And they benefit from living in the heart of a vibrant city—which sets us apart from most of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges.” The U.S. News & World Report ranking is one of many tools students and parents use when choosing a college. Other factors they may consider when deciding on Transylvania include our three new residence halls opening this fall and next year, other major building improvements to campus, a test-optional admissions policy and an innovative August term for our first-year students to acclimate to college life. Today’s U.S. News & World Report ranking—which placed Transylvania 82nd out of the nation’s 245 liberal arts schools—comes on the heels of two other strong showings. The Princeton Review listed Transylvania University among the top 15 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges because of superior academics. And the Washington Monthly highlighted the school’s value, listing the university in the top 14 percent of the Best Bang for the Buck Colleges in the South ranking.