CMC Ranks 7th in Kiplinger 100

The Kiplinger 100: Best Values in Private Colleges for 2010-11 has ranked Claremont McKenna College 7th among top private liberal arts colleges that combine outstanding academic quality and affordability. Schools making the top 100 this year were selected from a pool of more than 600 private institutions.
"While Claremont McKenna College is consistently recognized for its excellence in educating future leaders, we are pleased with this recognition of the educational value we provide our students," states CMC President Pamela Gann. "The College's investment in faculty, student resources, and academics, and our financial aid program, including need-blind admission, enables us to provide high value for our students, as well as maintain our standing as one of the top liberal arts colleges nationally."
The annual, private school rankings will appear in the December 2010 issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance. More about the rankings, including a closer look at the top 10 schools in each category (in slideshow format), is provided on the Web site: www.kiplinger.com/links/college.
Part of the five-school Claremont Consortium, CMC joins sister college Pomona (ranked 2nd) in Kiplinger's top five for its high graduation rates and low average student debt. All five of The Claremont Colleges are in the top 50 of this year's list.
When measuring a school's academic quality, Kiplinger's took into account small class sizes, a high-achieving incoming class, a satisfied clientele (the percentage of students returning after freshman year) and graduation rates that reflect the school's ability to deliver its educationand a degreewithin four or five years.
Looking at the economic value of schools, Kiplinger's applauded institutions offering generous financial aid. The average cost of one year at a four-year private school has lately been about $36,000, according to the College Board, with the increase for 2010-11 a relatively modest 4.5 percent. However, the net pricethe cost after financial aidputs the total out-of-pocket cost, on average, closer to $22,000.
"What's more," says Kiplinger's editor Janet Bodnar, "some of the colleges on the Kiplinger's rankings offer a net price below $20,000, making some of the best institutions a downright bargain."
"We are certainly gratified," says CMC Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Richard Vos, "that Claremont McKenna College's commitment to need-blind admission, meeting the full demonstrated need of all admitted students, and our generous financial aid packaging program, as exemplified by our no-packaged-loan policy, has been suitably recognized by Kiplinger's Personal Finance."
ASCMC President Tammy Phan '11 says she knew CMC was an exceptional collegeand a great valuewhen she had the opportunity to hear two Nobel Prize winners, and Bono, speak on campus. She also points to dedicated professors who "scheduled extra office hours to help more students during finals weeks," she said. One faculty member's spouse even baked cookies for students after a particularly difficult midterm, Phan recalls. "I was also able to land an internship with help from CMC's Career Services Centerall of this before my freshman year was over!
"Now that I am about to graduate and have had several years of great opportunities," Phan says, "I couldn't be more happy with the experience and knowledge that I've gained from CMC."
Topping the 100 Best list was Swarthmore College, followed by Pomona, Williams College (3rd), Washington and Lee University (4th), and Davidson College (5th).