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

August 16, 2019

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

Kiplinger’s magazine ranks Western 63^rd in the country for in-state students on its list of the Best Values in Public Colleges for 2019, and 72^nd for out-of-state students.

“Western is proud to again be counted among the best values in public higher education, both in Washington state and at the national level. Our commitment to increasing inclusive student success depends on making high quality, transformative education attainable for students and families,” said WWU President Sabah Randhawa. “Achieving high marks in academic quality and affordability is a testament to the dedication of Western’s outstanding faculty and staff, and I congratulate them on this well-deserve recognition.”

Western has appeared on the list multiple times, a testament to the consistent value the university offers. Western was 92^nd on the composite list for 2017; 89^th for 2016; 91^st on the list for 2015; 93rd on the list in 2014; ranked 74^th 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, the University of Washington, and UW Bothell are the only public universities in the state listed among the top 100 best in-state values for public universities, and only WWU and UW are in the top 100 for out-of-state values.

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.

The complete rankings are now available online at: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/type/public#Table.