Queens College has once again been recognized for being financially friendly.
The Flushing institution recently earned fifth place in a ranking of four-year colleges giving students the “Best Bang for the Buck” in the Northeast.
The ranking was compiled by Washington Monthly according to which Northeast colleges offer the best value for their cost based on net price (including tuition, textbooks and other costs), how many admitted students make it to graduation and whether graduating students go on to earn at least enough to pay off their loans.
According to the Washington Monthly, only 3.7 percent of Queens College students have to default on their student loans, and the school graduates 53 percent of admitted students. Also, 35.7 percent of Queens College attendees use Pell grants to help pay for costs at the school.
The list will be included in the Washington Monthly’s book, “The Other College Guide: A Roadmap for the Right School for You.” The guide is inspired by Washington Monthly magazine’s signature college rankings, and aims to provide honest and practical information to streamline the college selection process by including the school rankings, profiles of select universities and other tidbits of useful advice.
When announcing the ranking on Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo cited his pride at having Queens College included in the top five spots in the Northeast ranking, along with three other New York schools. The other New York City colleges named were Baruch College in first place, Lehman College in third place and John Jay College of Criminal Justice in fourth place.
“New York has a long and proud tradition of providing a high-quality, affordable education through our public colleges and universities,” Cuomo said. “This latest ranking further emphasizes the value of earning a degree right here in New York and I am proud of these CUNY campuses and this well-deserved recognition.”
The recognition is not the first time that Queens College has been noted by a publication for its educational value. In February, the school earned a place on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s top 10 list for the nation’s “Best Value” colleges.
