Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranks University of Richmond No. 26 on best values list of private liberal arts colleges

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranks University of Richmond No. 26 on its 2013–14 list of 100 best value private liberal arts colleges. Kiplinger’s annual lists rank 100 private universities and 100 private liberal arts colleges.  

Kiplinger’s rankings identify colleges that the editors feel provide the most value for the price of tuition. Kiplinger’s included Richmond on the liberal arts colleges list for the first time this year. Previously, the university was ranked with private universities. The change corresponds to Richmond’s classification by the Carnegie Foundation and puts Richmond in the company of top private liberal arts colleges such as Swarthmore, Williams, Amherst and Pomona.

Richmond was selected for its academic quality and generous financial aid and scholarship programs. It remains among a small group of colleges and universities offering need-blind admission — it does not consider an applicant’s ability to pay in the admission decision — while also meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all accepted students.

In 2012–13, Richmond awarded $72 million in grants and scholarships — $65 million of which came from Richmond’s own resources — to 67 percent of undergraduate students. Beginning in fall 2014, first-year students from Virginia whose family income is less than $60,000 may qualify for free tuition, room and board without loans.

“With President Obama’s recent emphasis on rating colleges and universities based on their value, our rankings serve as a valuable resource to help students and families make more informed choices,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Combining a high-quality education with an affordable price tag is a challenge, but the colleges on this year’s list offer the best of both worlds.”

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