Scholarships: Top 10 Best Value Colleges for 2015

Summer is right around the corner, so what better way to welcome the season than with some great news? Here is an easy-to-understand guide of the top 10 best value colleges of 2015.
This post highlights:
- The 2015 Best Value Colleges
- What these colleges really cost to attend (these results might shock you)
- Is this really important?
This list of best value colleges comes from the U.S. News and World Report. What does "best value" really mean? In a nutshell, the U.S. News & World Report run a yearly report on colleges based on 3 criteria's: ratio of quality to price, need-based financial aid, and average discount.
To sum it up, here is the breakdown of the 2015 Best Value Colleges and their average aware for new students:
National Universities
Princeton University (Average financial aid award = 45k)
Harvard College (Average financial aid award = 48k)
Yale University (Average financial aid awared = 42k)
Stanford University (Average financial aid award = 42k)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Average financial aid award = 38k)
Liberal Arts College
Amherst College (Average financial aid award = 47k)
Williams College (Average financial aid award = 47k)
Pomona College (Average financial aid award = 41k)
Wellesley College (Average financial aid award = 42k)
Soka University of America (Average financial aid award = 28k)
Isn't this shocking? Your student can get a $40,000-$50,000 scholarship to attend an expensive private school. Is this really how it works? Can students really get this much in financial aid? Yes! Financial aid is for all income-level families, and every college has their unique way of enticing students with scholarships and grants.
Is this really important?
The answer is yes, and no. Hopefully by now you have acknowledged that colleges can be generous. The more important questions to ask are: what college is the best fit for my student? Where will my student thrive and have the best opportunities for his/her career? How can I afford 4 years of college without sacrificing my saving or retirement?
If you would like more information on what school is best for your student or would like 1-on-1 financial aid support give me a call at (925) 967-4221 or RSVP for a free college planning workshop.