MSU moves up in value rankings

By Mike Blasky | Originally Published: 01/08/08 9:39pm |Modified: 01/08/08 9:50pm | No comments

The academic and financial value of MSU has improved relative to other public universities but ranks last in the Big Ten, according to a study by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

The 2008 study ranked MSU 61st out of more than 500 four-year colleges that submitted data for the study. MSU jumped 24 spots from ranking 85th in 2007 and 94th in 2006.

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said MSU was pleased to move up, despite losing some state funding when other schools’ states have continued to support higher education.

“We have less appropriation per student than last year,” Simon said. “In real dollars, (the state) lost 3.5 to 4 percent in purchasing power. This has been prevalent in the state of Michigan for awhile.”

Because the study weighted academics more than affordability, Simon said the ranking increase was an indication that MSU’s academic improvements over the year offset the higher tuition costs.

Two-thirds of the ranking was based on academic components, including student-faculty ratios, admission rates and graduation rates. One-third of the ranking was based on affordability for in-state tuition.

Simon noted that Kiplinger has a reputation for being good at assessing value as it applies to cost versus quality. But because the magazine doesn’t divulge its ranking formula, it was hard to comment on the specifics, she said.

In Kiplinger’s 2003 study, MSU ranked 29th, improving from 61st in 2002.

The cause for MSU’s inconsistent ranking might be that other schools improved slightly, said Jane Clark, associate editor for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Clark said the actual numbers each year don’t change radically.

“On the face of it, you can’t tell why (a school’s ranking) went up or down,” Clark said. “If there’s movement in one school, everything changes.”

Applied engineering freshman Joe Covington said the improved ranking would be positive for the university because it could raise enrollment.

“It also allows more opportunity for graduate students,” he said.

Communications senior Ben Wiedmaier said he didn’t know how many people would take the ranking seriously.

“(The College of Communication Arts & Sciences) is like, top-three in the nation,” he said. “I’ll pay whatever I can for the kind of interaction I get with my professors.”

Clark said the magazine tried to be as objective as possible.

“I have three kids who have gone to different colleges,” she said. “Every kid is different, but some schools have strengths not reflected in rankings.”