SUNY Plattsburgh Named a Top 100 Best Value in Public Higher Education

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has named SUNY Plattsburgh to its list of the 100 best values in public colleges for 2014.

The national ranking honors four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value. SUNY Plattsburgh ranks 98th. The college has appeared on Kiplinger’s ranking multiple times before, most recently in 2011.

This is the third major accolade the college has received this year for offering affordable, high-quality degrees. The others were a “High Return on Investment” honor from Affordable Colleges Online and a “Best Bang for the Buck” designation from Washington Monthly magazine.

"People are paying more attention to value in higher education, and that's a good thing for schools like ours,” President John Ettling said. “SUNY Plattsburgh students receive a solid education under the guidance of expert faculty — and they pay less to get it."

Kiplinger’s ranks colleges based on a formula that includes the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include low sticker prices, financial aid and low average debt at graduation.

“The college landscape today is very different — tuition increases and student debt dominate the national conversation surrounding higher education,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. “This year’s top 100 schools have made admirable strides to maintain academic integrity and standards while meeting the financial needs of their students.”

The annual public school rankings appear in Kiplinger’s February 2014 issue — on newsstands Dec. 31, 2013 — and online at kiplinger.com/links/college.

Eight other SUNY campuses joined Plattsburgh on the Kiplinger’s list.

“SUNY is proud to once again see so many of its campuses ranked favorably by Kiplinger’s Magazine for the top educational value they offer students in New York and around the globe,” SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said. “Congratulations to SUNY Plattsburgh on this much-deserved recognition, which is a reflection of our commitments to access, quality and affordability.”