Forbes lists TU among its 2017 Best Value Colleges

By Towson University on July 7, 2017

Towson University holds the No. 181 spot in Forbes’s 2017 Best Value Colleges ranking.

The annual ranking indexes 300 public and private U.S. schools that deliver the best bang for the tuition buck based on tuition costs, school quality, post-grad earnings, student debt and graduation success.

Forbes ranked three other USM institutions: University of Maryland, College Park (31); UMBC (198); and Salisbury University (284).

In compiling its second list, the magazine set its sights on whether a college will deliver a meaningful return on investment. 

According to Forbes, “For many students and their families, the price of a degree is as important a factor in deciding where to go as its quality.

“Knowing where you can get the most quality for each tuition dollar spent is the goal of this year’s Best Value ranking.” 

Forbes used data collected from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard as well as PayScale, the world's largest salary database.

The Forbes ranking formula consists of the six categories and weights:

Quality (25%) + alumni earnings (20%) + median student debt (20%) + on-time graduation (15%) + drop-out risk (10%) + Pell Grant recipients (10%) / gross tuition and fees

This year marks Forbes' second Best Value Colleges list. Of its ranked public institutions, Forbes says, “Not only do these colleges have a good reputation, they’re also a great deal.”

BestColleges.com ranking

Towson University ranked fourth on BestColleges.com’s “Best Colleges in Maryland” list, receiving a score of 66.82 from the site.

Only Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland-College Park and St. Mary’s College ranked ahead of Towson University.