A Kalamazoo College education provides one of the most outstanding returns on investment, according to the Princeton Review.
The education-services company profiles and recommends K in the 2020 edition of The Best Value Colleges, its annual guide to undergraduate schools.
The Princeton Review examined 656 institutions for this year’s list and selected K among the top 200 colleges and universities, placing it among the top 7 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges. Kalamazoo College is the only Michigan private school and just one of three Michigan schools overall to be honored this year.
Colleges and universities were selected based on surveys of students and administrators. Survey topics included academics, cost, financial aid, career services, graduation rates, student debt and alumni support. The Princeton Review also factored in data from PayScale.com surveys regarding alumni salaries and job satisfaction.
According to the College’s profile at the Princeton Review’s website, student respondents said K “allows students to really develop personal relationships with their peers and professors” and is “a campus run by and for the students.” Students also said the open curriculum means they have more time to explore exactly what they want to learn, rather than being required to take classes in which they have no interest.
Colleges and universities on the list “are truly distinctive and diverse in their programs, size, region and type, yet they are similar in three areas,” Princeton Review Editor-in-Chief Robert Franek said. “Every school we selected offers outstanding academics, generous financial aid and/or relative low cost of attendance, and stellar career services. We recommend them highly to college applicants and parents seeking schools that are academically top-notch and committed to making their programs affordable. These colleges are also standouts at guiding their students to rewarding futures.”
“The flexibility of the K-Plan, our approach to an excellent education in the liberal arts and sciences, allows us to seek out students with a broad array of interests, achievements and experiences,” Interim Dean and Director of Admission Suzanne Lepley said. “We strive to provide an excellent return on investment for all of our students as we help them grow as individuals.”
The Best Value Colleges is one of more than 150 books developed by The Princeton Review and published by Penguin Random House. Others that are resources on this topic include The Best 385 Colleges, which includes Kalamazoo College in 2020.
Best Value Colleges is now on sale.