The list spotlights institutions that graduate their students to successful, rewarding careers
The Princeton Review has chosen Long Beach State University for inclusion in the 2018 edition of its annual guide, “Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck.” Long Beach State University is joined by San Diego State University as one of only two California State University campuses on the list, which includes a mix of well-known public and private institutions.
“We are delighted to be recognized for what many call ‘return on investment,’ ” President Jane Close Conoley said. “Increasingly, Long Beach State University is recognized for its academic excellence as well as for its workforce preparation. When our students graduate, they join more than 300,000 alumni who are engaged and leading in their chosen careers and fields, and our inclusion in ‘Colleges That Pay You Back…’ underscores our efforts and their accomplishments.”
The annual guidebook, now in its fourth year, is the education services company’s resource for college-bound students and their parents who are shopping for “affordable, academically outstanding colleges that graduate their students to successful, rewarding careers.” “Colleges That Pay You Back…” contains detailed profiles of the schools, plus ranking lists. The full lists, profiles and information on the project methodology are available here.
The Princeton Review said its organization chose the 200 schools for this edition based on a comprehensive analysis of data from its surveys of administrators at more than 650 colleges in 2016-17. Survey topics broadly covered academics, cost, financial aid, career services, graduation rates, student debt and alumni support. The company also factored in data from PayScale.com surveys of alumni of the schools about their starting and mid-career salaries and job satisfaction.
According to the Princeton Review, “In all, more than 40-plus data points were crunched to select the 200 schools for the book and tally [the] seven ranking lists.”
Only 7 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges made it into this book, noted Robert Franek, the lead author and the Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “These schools were bona fide standouts for the return they deliver on one’s college investment,” he said. “They offer stellar academics, generous aid awards to students with need and/or merit, and provide all of their undergrads with career services from day one – plus a lifetime of alumni connections.”
