Kiplinger's: Knox is among "100 Best Values"

Knox College has earned recognition in Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine as one of the "100 Best Values in Private Colleges." The annual rankings of private colleges and universities appears in the April issue of Kiplinger's and on their website at www.kiplinger.com. Knox was ranked 47th among liberal arts colleges.

Kiplinger's showcases schools with "strong academics, generous financial aid policies and, in some cases, a decent price to begin with," according to senior associate editor Jane Bennett Clark.

"Knox has been aggressive in managing college costs, with relatively modest rates of increase," says Paul Steenis, Knox College's dean of admission and vice president for enrollment. "Families of all backgrounds and financial means benefit from a lower sticker price."

Over the past decade, the cost of tuition, fees, room and board at Knox has increased an average of 4.3 percent annually. This compares to increases of 5.3 percent annually for private colleges and 6.2 percent annually for public colleges and universities, according to The College Board.

"There is growing scrutiny of the cost of college, which is approaching $50,000 per year at some institutions," says Steenis. The cost of Knox in 2008-09 will be $37,233, including tuition, fees, room, and board, and over 60 percent of Knox students receive need-based financial aid. The College also offers an array of merit-based scholarships.

Recognition as a best value requires more than good scholarships and financial aid, Steenis says. "When determining what constitutes a best value, Kiplinger's primary emphasis is on academic quality. They consider the resources that are put into each student's education, and they look at the outcomes. This includes data such as our low student-faculty ratio, which provides students with opportunities to work closely with our scholar-teachers, and our high graduation rates." Knox's student-faculty ratio is 12-to-1, and graduation rate is 74 percent.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 45 states and 44 nations. Knox's 'Old Main' is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.