According to Money, a subsidiary of TIME.com, the College of the Holy Cross ranks No. 12 in the top 50 best private colleges for earning your degree on time and No. 101 for overall best college value. The list stresses the importance of proper budgeting when looking at four-year institutions and provides the value ranking of each college, estimated by how much the degree will cost based on average financial aid.
With Holy Cross’s four-year retention rate as one of the nation’s highest at 89%, the article states that nearly 45% of full-time students need an extra year of school to earn their bachelor’s degree. This increases the cost of college significantly.
Holy Cross is also one of a select group of colleges and universities that accept students regardless of their ability to pay (“need-blind admissions”) and then meet 100 percent of demonstrated need. Nearly two-thirds of Holy Cross students receive some form of aid, typically in a package that combines scholarships and grants, loans, and work-study employment.
The article advises parents and students to check the four-year graduation rate with the U.S. Department of Education before committing to a certain college. If the rate is low, ask the college and some students why that is.
The list also includes Money’s best value assessment. Holy Cross ranks No. 101 out of the nation’s roughly 1,500 four-year colleges. Money screened the colleges based on 18 factors that fell into three categories: educational quality, affordability, and alumni earnings provided by PayScale.com.
This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Jacqueline Smith.
