‘Washington Monthly’ Includes DU Among Best Bang for Buck Rankings

Washington Monthly has hailed Duquesne University as a school where students get the “best bang for the buck.”

The 2013 Best Bang for the Buck rankings, a new ranking by Washington Monthly based on the economic value students receive per dollar, lists Duquesne at No. 68 out of 78 schools in the national universities category. Among Catholic schools ranked on this national list, Duquesne is included in the top five. Other Best Bang for the Buck ranking categories include liberal arts colleges; master’s universities; baccalaureate colleges; and all schools.

According to the magazine, the Best Bang for the Buck rankings focus on American colleges that “do the best job of helping non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.” The list is described as exclusive as only 349 schools (out 1,572 colleges and universities that were considered) made the overall best-bang-for-the-buck list.

Criteria for universities to be included in the Washington Monthly rankings were:

• at least 20 percent of students must be receiving Pell grants
• a graduation rate of at least 50 percent
• a school’s graduation rate must meet or exceed the rate that would be statistically predicted for that school based on the number of lower-income students admitted
• a school must have a student loan default rate of 10 percent of less.

After considering these criteria, schools were ranked based on their net price of attendance.

Washington Monthly is a bimonthly publication that covers politics, government, culture and the media.