AU was recently ranked the 49th “Best Value Private University” in America by Kiplinger Magazine, a 10 slot increase from last year.
Kiplinger, the personal finance magazine, placed AU above notable private institutions such as Northeastern, Baylor and New York University, in its recent annual listing.
Last year AU was ranked No. 59,. However, this year’s ranking is still below that of its ranking in 2011 when AU was ranked No. 47.
Kiplinger ranks universities using a formula, which is comprised of quality factors such as competitiveness, graduation rate, academic support and cost factors such as financial aid and student indebtedness. Kiplinger begins with statistics from 600 private universities, and calculates each institution, ending with the 200 of “best value.”
AU’s position in the “best value” listing may be attributed to the recent shift in distribution of financial aid. According to AU’s college affordability website, a 15 percent increase in “institutional funding” has been shifted to support need-based aid in the past year.
