Rice still No. 4 among Kiplinger’s best-value private schools

Rice University is ranked No. 4 on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s 2016 list of “best college values” for private universities. It is No. 7 on Kiplinger’s combined ranking of private and public best-value schools.

The rankings are based on academic quality and affordability, and Rice’s placements are the same as for 2015. Rice has been ranked among Kiplinger’s top five private best values since the rankings began in 1999, when Rice was No. 1.

In a slideshow of the top 10 best values on the combined list of public and private schools, Kiplinger cites Rice University’s low 6-to-1 student-faculty ratio and 97 percent freshman retention rate. “The school is also an attractive option for families who don’t expect to qualify for financial aid but still need to keep college costs in check,” the Kiplinger editors wrote. They noted that Rice’s annual sticker price of $56,703 is the second lowest among the top 20 schools on the combined list, and that Rice awards need-based aid to nearly 40 percent of students, which cuts the annual sticker price by 62 percent. “And 21 percent of students who don’t qualify for need-based aid receive merit aid, with an average non-need-based aid award of $13,730,” the Kiplinger editors wrote. “About two-thirds of graduates avoid borrowing.”

Kiplinger’s assessment of academic quality includes the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and four-year graduation rate. Cost assessment includes sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation.

Rice University admits students regardless of their ability to pay and provides financial aid packages that meet 100 percent of their demonstrated need. Freshmen who qualify for need-based aid and whose family annual income is $80,000 or less are not required to take out loans to pay for their education. Rice has a $10,000 limit on required loans in financial aid packages for other need-eligible incoming freshmen for their four undergraduate years.

The complete rankings are available at Kiplinger.com/links/college.