By Naeisha Rose
Queens College was among the top 20 schools for teaching degrees on the annual Best Value Schools’ 2018 list last week and was also named the most affordable school overall.
The CUNY institution, at 65-30 Kissena Blvd. in Flushing, was 17th out of 50 schools in terms of value for those pursuing degrees in the education sector, according to the list.
Queens College was also the most cost-efficient school for prospective teachers, with an average net price of $8,704 a year, according to bestv
The school scored 83.3 out of a possible 100, according to Best Value Schools.
BVS’s rankings focused on four-year public and private (non-profit) colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees in teaching.
Best Value based its appraisals on program popularity, the scope of programs, acceptance, graduation and retention rates, as well as net price.
Queens College It was the only school on the list with a net price under $9,000, and the next school in terms of affordability was fellow CUNY school Brooklyn College, which came in 28th in terms of ranking but cost $9,771 to attend.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the top value schools in the nation for students to earn teaching degrees as well as being first in New York state,” Queens College President Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said. “Queens College has been long recognized for its prestigious education division, diverse undergraduate and graduate programs, and for equipping future teachers and school professionals with the skills they need to be successful partners with their communities.”
BVS cited Queens College’s affordability, its engagement with the local community, and its Center for the Improvement of Education as major contributors to its ranking on the list.
The center’s “citywide effort to bring together schools, agencies, businesses, and other organizations to help children and grow” and the school’s designing of “teaching degrees that meet the needs of local students” were factors that landed it in the top 20, according to BVS.
Other New York schools on the list were SUNY Cortland (23), SUNY New Paltz (25), SUNY Oneonta (30), SUNY Geneseo (31), St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn (39) and Niagara University (44).
Those schools ranged in price from $14,605 (New Paltz) to $18,523 (Niagara), according to BVS.
The top school was the David O. Mckay School of Education at Brigham Young University in Utah, which scored 100 and had a net price of $12,864.
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by email at nrose
