MONEY magazine names Concordia in top 25 of most affordable private colleges in U.S.

Published by Concordia University, Nebraska 8 years ago on Wed, Aug 19, 2015 10:28 AM
Concordia’s Student Financial Services counselors work with students one on one to ensure they receive their higher education at an affordable price.

Concordia University, Nebraska was named on the second annual list of MONEY’s Best Colleges, a value ranking that evaluates colleges on measures of educational quality, affordability and career earnings to help families find great schools that are truly worth the investment. Concordia was slotted as number 23 out of 50 on the list of The 50 Most Affordable Private Colleges.

Concordia Nebraska is the highest ranked college in Nebraska and in the Great Plains Athletic Conference in this category. It is also the only school in the Concordia University System to be named to MONEY’s list of most affordable private colleges. 

“We are dedicated to making a Lutheran, Christian higher education financially attainable for every student who wants to attend,” said Concordia President Brian Friedrich. “With the honors we have received for our excellent academic programs and position as a quality, Christian, private college, along with MONEY’s acknowledgement of our affordability, our students and their families can be confident in the tremendous value that Concordia provides.”

MONEY's Best Colleges ranks more than 700 schools on 21 measures, assessing quality of education, affordability and alumni success. To develop the rankings, MONEY collaborated with Mark Schneider, former head of the National Center for Education Statistics and current president of College Measures. The list underscores that it's not just elite institutions that can deliver a great education and includes many colleges and universities that don't typically show up on "best" lists.

MONEY Editor Diane Harris notes, “Our list stands apart from other rankings in the smartness of its methodology and the objectivity of the data.” Soaring tuition, crippling levels of student debt and a highly competitive job market for new grads has raised the stakes for college-bound families. Harris says: "Finding a school that delivers great value—a quality education at an affordable price while helping students launch promising careers—is no longer just the preferable approach for families; it's imperative."

Affordability rankings were determined by student and parent borrowing and student loan default rates, federal data on affordability for low- and moderate-income students and the estimated average net price of a degree, which takes into account a school's sticker price, tuition inflation, institutional financial aid and the typical time needed to graduate. 

“Being named to MONEY’s list of most affordable private colleges demonstrates our commitment to ensuring students receive an excellent education at an affordable price,” said Dave Kumm, Concordia’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer. “We have raised tuition at rates lower than the national average, 100 percent of our incoming students receive financial aid and we reward students through scholarships and grants.”

See the full list of the 50 Most Affordable Private Colleges at http://ti.me/1M61RwG