By Amelia Kibbe
Advisory Editor
St. Bonaventure University has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance list of The Top 300 Best College Values of 2016—as well as the publication’s list of 100 best private universities—for the first time in school history.
The listings will appear in the February edition of the D.C.-based magazine, available on newsstands now.
According to the Kiplinger—a publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice— website, the rankings are derived from a formula of 55 percent quality measures and 45 percent financial measures and take into effect only measurable criteria such as student-faculty ratios, admission rates, on-time graduation rate, sticker price and financial aid.
Emily Morris, Ph.D., vice president for university relations, said St. Bonaventure landed on the list due to its steadily increasing freshman-to-sophomore retention and graduation rates, a large deciding factor for the rankings, she said.
Twelve-hundred schools in the United States fit the criteria to be considered for the overall annual list, which focuses on traditional four-year schools. The top 300 are named. St. Bonaventure ranked 287th in the main category, Morris said.
Kiplinger, which focuses on traditional four-year schools, also ranks schools in other categories, such as the top 100 private universities, top 100 liberal arts colleges and top 100 public universities. St. Bonaventure ranked 96th in the top 100 private universities list, Morris said.
According to Bernie Valento, vice president of enrollment, having St. Bonaventure on both the overall list and the private universities list will give the university an advantage when prospective students and their families begin searching for schools.
“Today more than ever, students and families are focusing on overall quality, value and affordability,” Valento said. “They [families and students] actively research data such as first-year retention rates, graduation rates, average salaries and loan debt upon graduation. Kiplinger’s recognition provides instant affirmation of our value and return on investment.”
Freshman Noelle Acaso, a theology and physiology double major, said although she didn’t consider lists such as Kiplinger’s when choosing schools, she recognized it as a special honor.
“I had looked up Bonaventure online after my counselor suggested it to me,” Acaso said. “I don’t really think a fancy magazine’s opinion would make a difference to me, now or before, because I think that student opinions give the truest insight into a school’s standing. I think while it is an honor, I would much rather hear the about the school from a student’s perspective.”
In the list of private universities, other Western New York institutions ranked included St. John Fisher College in Rochester and Nazareth College of Rochester, coming in at 95th and 99th, respectively. In the general list, named area schools included State University of New York at Geneseo, Binghamton University, University of Rochester, Siena College, University at Buffalo and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Morris said the university does not pay a fee to be considered for the rankings, nor does it receive any monetary award for making the lists.
St. Bonaventure was also named to the 2016 Princeton Review’s list of Best 380 Colleges, announced last fall. Morris said adding Kiplinger’s ranking to St. Bonaventure’s credentials illustrates St. Bonaventure’s relevance in the marketplace.
“We are very pleased to have made this particular list because Kiplinger is a name that is known and trusted in the realm of personal finance, and their ranking system places value on things we value – including student success, financial aid, cost to students and families,” she said.
kibbeaa13@bonaventure.edu
