Texas Tech Named Top 100 Best Value Public College

Texas Tech University was named Dec. 11 to “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance” list of 100 best values in public colleges for 2014.

Since 1998, the rankings have recognized four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value. Texas Tech is ranked 87th this year, marking the second time it has made Kiplinger’s list. The school was ranked 98th in 2003.

Among this year’s top 100 best value schools, Texas Tech ranked 11th in least average debt at graduation.

“We’re always proud to be honored as a best value school, because we work hard to implement strategies that will help offset rising operating costs without compromising our academic integrity,” said Texas Tech President M. Duane Nellis. “Earning a spot back on the Kiplinger top 100 proves we’re headed in the right direction.”

Kiplinger assesses quality according to a number of measurable standards, including the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include low sticker prices, abundant financial aid and low average debt at graduation.

“The college landscape today is very different — tuition increases and student debt dominate the national conversation surrounding higher education,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.” “This year’s top 100 schools have made admirable strides to maintain academic integrity and standards while meeting the financial needs of their students.”

The annual public school rankings appear in Kiplinger’s February 2014 issue — on newsstands Dec. 31 — and online now. Web visitors will find special features, including a tool that lets readers sort by in-state and out-of-state cost, average debt at graduation, and admission rate; a slide show of the top ten schools; archives of previous years’ rankings, and an FAQ about the ranking methodology.