Kiplinger’s Names Duquesne a Top 100 Best College Value

Duquesne’s outstanding academics and affordable cost have made it rise dramatically on the list of the 100 best values in private schools nationwide for 2015, as compiled by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

Ranked at the No. 72 spot in the annual list of the country’s best private educational values, Duquesne had been at No. 84 on the 2014 list.

Duquesne is among the top third of schools on this list whose students graduate with the lowest average debt: $26,119.

Average student debt at graduation is one metric used by Kiplinger’s, in addition to:

• Total cost, including, books, room and board, tuition and fees
• Need-based aid
• Academic quality, including selectivity in admissions and four-year graduation rates, noting the savings to a family when a student completes a degree “on time”
• Academic support, determined by the percentage of students who return for their sophomore year, as well as faculty-student ratio.

Duquesne’s retention rate from the freshman to sophomore year is more than eight percentage points higher than the national average for doctoral-degree granting institutions, and more students than ever (97percent) were satisfied with their first semester last year to return in Spring 2014, said Paul-James Cukanna, associate provost for enrollment management.

“It is exciting to see Duquesne make such a leap on Kiplinger’s Best Private College List,” said Cukanna. “Our inclusion and progress on this list is a testament to strong leadership by President Dougherty and his team members, who take a strategic and sophisticated approach to managing the University. Our admissions, academic affairs, student services and other colleagues around campus also work to ensure our strong academic quality and retention and graduation rates, which contribute to this ranking.”

On Kiplinger’s first-ever national combined listing of public and private schools, compiled from 1,200 institutions, Duquesne is ranked No. 224 of the 300 selected.

“We salute this year’s top schools,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Balancing top-quality education with affordable cost is a challenge for families in today’s economy, which is why Kiplinger’s rankings are such a valuable resource. The schools on the 2015 list offer students the best of both worlds.”