So Dukies aren't exactly used to being second-best.
But as the Huffington Post reported Friday, The Princeton Review and USA Today named Duke University #2 in private schools with the best value for their cost of attendance. Duke followed recurring #1 Swarthmore and was followed by Princeton at #3.
Swarthmore's estimated cost of attendance for 2012 is $51,500 and Princeton's is $52,180. Duke's currently $53,905, but following a 3.9 percent tuition increase, cost of attendance will be approximately $55,690 for the 2012 year.
The study examined 650 colleges and universities across the United States. Among the 50 top public and 50 top private schools, The Princeton Review used factors such as academic excellence, financial aid and overall cost of attendance to calculate those with the highest 'value.'
According to the Princeton Review's website, to have high value "a school must be academically outstanding. It must also offer value in one of two ways: either by charging a comparatively lower sticker price (that includes all the "cost of attendance" factors listed above) right off the bat or by making a comparatively higher sticker price affordable to students it admits who demonstrate financial need."
Duke replaced Harvard in the #2 slot. Harvard dropped to #5 and Yale went from #5 to #10.
Last year, though, Duke didn't even make the top ten.
So what's the reason for the big jump?
Dean of Undergraduate Admission Christoph Guttentag said it is likely more a change in the ranking methodology than any change in college's policies.
"Anytime that there are big changes in rankings of any sort, it typically means a change in methodology," Guttentag said. "I don’t think Duke is dramatically different, but people who do the rankings like to change the way they do them because it keeps it interesting.
Guttenetag said he is skeptical of any sort of rankings, regardless of how the University is portrayed.
"That said, I think Duke represents a terrific value in education," he noted. "I'm really pleased that we’ve been recognized this way, though if that changes I'm not going to lose sleep in any way next year."
"All that said, I’m happy we’re number two," he concluded.
So what do YOU think—is Duke worth "every penny?"
The Full Top-10 Best Value Private Colleges
- Swarthmore College
- Duke University
- Princeton University
- California Institute of Technology
- Harvard College
- Wesleyan University
- Williams College
- Vanderbilt University
- Wesleyan College
- Yale University
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