IU pleased with ranking as a best value university by the Princeton Review

IU is back on top, ranking among some of the most affordable universities. As one of three Big Ten universities on the list, IU is among the 50 “Best Value” public colleges, according to The Princeton Review.

“We are pleased with the ranking as a best value, and it confirms what we believe students and families already believe about Indiana University,” said Roger Thompson, IU vice provost for enrollment management, in an e-mail interview.

The Princeton Review selected IU as one of its “Best Value” choices for 2009 based on its survey of administrators and students at public and private colleges and universities.

“I believe that including IU on its list is great,” junior Channing Collins said. “When looking for information about colleges, many high school students used that site in order to do research. Those students may truly understand why coming to IU is a good thing, especially in times of economic recession.”

Sophomore Tamia Mays, a transfer student from Calvin College, said one of the greatest benefits of being at IU is the resources students receive through academics and extracurricular opportunities.

“I know I made the right decision by coming to IU,” Mays said in an e-mail interview. “They have almost every type of organization and extracurricular activity imaginable and even the resources for students and professors to add to their own creativity.

“These assets make the IU experience unique and deserving of its honors. However, expanding its financial resources will attract students of various backgrounds,” Mays said.

According to The Princeton Review, IU provides many opportunities to help students financially via need- and merit-based scholarships for both in-state and out-of-state students, federal loans and institutional employment.

“It is difficult to predict where we might rank in the future because while we continue to take steps to make IU more affordable, so do other schools around the country,” Thompson said.

“What is more important is that we concentrate on doing the things we are engaged in currently to make IU affordable. We are doing our best to meet the president’s goal of providing a great educational experience for every talented student regardless of family income or situation.”