Methodology

As our name implies, College Choice aims to help our readers make the best decision for their personal education needs. We know that there are a lot of options out there, and that a student’s school choice can set them up for better opportunities and a better career.

With student success as our guiding metric, we developed a methodology that provides students with reliable recommendations and rankings. We use weighted values such as a school’s retention, affordability, and reputation — in concert with concrete statistics — to generate our recommendations and rankings.

Undergraduate Programs

For undergraduate programs, we have grouped statistics into three major groups: retention, program appeal, and finances.

Retention 30%

• Graduation Rate
• Full-Time Retention Rate
• Transfer Out Rate
• Part-Time Retention Rate

Program Appeal 40%

• Enrollment Rate
• Total Programs Offered
• Student to Faculty Ratio

Finances 30%

• Tuition Changes Over Time
• Proportion of Students Receiving Financial Aid
• Total Scholarships and Fellowships

Graduate Programs

Affordability, return on investment (ROI), and commitment to graduate education are the three primary statistical categories considered for graduate programs.

Affordability 30%

• Graduate Tuition and Fees
• Proportion of Students Receiving Financial Aid
• Loan Default Rate
• Tuition Changes Over Time

ROI 40%

• 10-year Net Present Value

Commitment to Graduate Education 30%

• Ratio of Master’s Programs to Total Number of Programs
• Proportion of Graduate Students to Overall Student Population
• Ratio of Master’s Degree Programs Offered via Distance Education to Total Number of Master’s Programs

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