These Are PA's Best Value Colleges: Study

PENNSYLVANIA — Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh offers students the most bang for their buck among state colleges and universities, a new study has determined.

SmartAsset, which provides consumers with online financial information and advice, recently released its eighth annual ranking of the nation's best value institutions of higher education. The study compares schools based on a variety of financial factors and data sets, including starting salary, tuition, living expenses, student retention rate and scholarships awarded.

Here are the best values among Pennsylvania colleges and universities, according to the study:

1. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

• Scholarships and grant average: $36,928

• Starting salary: $84,000

• College Tuition: $55,465

• Student living costs: $16,818

• Student retention: 96 percent

• Education value: 76.67

2. Lehigh University, Bethlehem

• Scholarships and grant average: $43,288

• Starting salary: $74,600

• College Tuition: $52,930

• Student living costs: $15,665

• Student retention: 91 percent

• Education value: 70.61

3. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

• Scholarships and grant average: $44,232

• Starting salary: $78,300

• College Tuition: $55,584

• Student living costs: $18,224

• Student retention: 95 percent

• Education value: 67.72

4. Lafayette College, Easton

• Scholarships and grant average: $42,748

• Starting salary: $72,600

• College Tuition: $53,630

• Student living costs: $17,640

• Student retention: 87 percent

• Education value: 76.67

5. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Campus

• Scholarships and grant average: $12,750

• Starting salary: $62,300

• College Tuition: $19,080

• Student living costs: $14,423

• Student retention: 93 percent

• Education value: 59.41

6. Grove City College, Grove City

• Scholarships and grant average: $7,220

• Starting salary: $58,900

• College Tuition: $17,930

• Student living costs: $11,620

• Student retention: 87 percent

• Education value: 56.49

7. Bucknell University, Lewisburg

• Scholarships and grant average: $33,809

• Starting salary: $72,000

• College Tuition: $56,092

• Student living costs: $16,658

• Student retention: 92 percent

• Education value: 55.24

8. Villanova University, Villanova

• Scholarships and grant average: $32,435

• Starting salary: $7o,700

• College Tuition: $53,308

• Student living costs: $17,420

• Student retention: 96 percent

• Education value: 54

9. Gettysburg College, Gettysburg

• Scholarships and grant average: $35,431

• Starting salary: $61,800

• College Tuition: $54,480

• Student living costs: $14,510

• Student retention: 90 percent

• Education value: 47.99

10. Temple University, Philadelphia

• Scholarships and grant average: $9,721

• Starting salary: $57,300

• College Tuition: $16,970

• Student living costs: $16,034

• Student retention: 87 percent

• Education value: 44.33

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