Money Magazine Ranks Babson the No. 2 College Overall in the United States

WELLESLEY, Mass., July 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Money magazine has named Babson the No. 2  college in America in its new Best Colleges ranking of roughly 1,500 four-year colleges and universities. The ranking assesses three equally weighted categories: educational quality, affordability, and alumni earnings. Babson is ranked second only to Stanford and is ranked above colleges such as MIT, Princeton, California Institute of Technology, Harvard, and Amherst.

Money also awarded Babson a Value-Added Grade of "A" due in part to the College's high graduation rate and average alumni early career earnings. Babson alumni earn "about $9,300 more than the average for recent grads of comparable schools," reports Money. Babson is the only college in Money's Top 5 to receive an "A" grade and one of only 28 colleges and universities in the entire ranking to receive an "A" for Value-Added.

According to Money, "Babson specializes in business and entrepreneurship. Although the school offers only one degree—a B.S. in business—half of the students' course loads are in the liberal arts and sciences. And upperclassmen can choose a 'concentration,' akin to a major, in subjects as diverse as literary and visual arts, history and political studies, and environmental sustainability. Still, the focus on business is the big draw—and provides a big payoff. Students get hands-on experience from the start, launching a business as part of a freshmen team (profits go to charity) and, in later years, through continuing interaction with local companies and via internships."

Money also writes: "The result of all that real-world learning: Babson alums report earning an average of roughly $60,100 a year within five years of graduation—about $9,300 more than the average for recent grads of comparable schools. Ninety percent graduate within six years, 12 points better than similar colleges. And the list of ventures started by alums is impressive, including Gerber, Home Depot, and Zumba Fitness. The suburban Boston campus draws an international crowd; more than 25% of students come from 70 countries other than the U.S. About half the students play sports (Babson has 22 Division III teams, as well as club and intramural teams)."

"Our continued success in Money's rankings of America's Best Colleges is further evidence of the quality and value a Babson education provides," said Babson President Kerry Healey. "This result also speaks to the extraordinary commitment of Babson's faculty, staff, and alumni—both on campus and around the world—to create and fuel a unique learning environment that prepares students to take action and create sustainable economic and social value in any context. Students and families make an investment to come to Babson because they want an education that delivers a lifetime of value."

In the What Students Are Saying sections, Babson students are quoted as saying:

• "Babson academics are amazing while very challenging."
• "Grades are earned, not given, so a high GPA from Babson carries significant weight to employers in the know."

Methodology

According to Money, "Here's a quick look at how Money determined which of the country's roughly 1,500 four-year colleges and universities deliver the most value—that is, a great education, at an affordable price, that helps students launch promising careers.

• Initial cut. Money screened out schools with graduation rates below the median and those facing financial difficulties.
• Ranking factors. The remaining colleges were ranked on 21 factors in three equally weighted categories: educational quality, affordability, and alumni earnings.
• Special value measure. Included: a "value added" grade that considered how well students at each school did vs. what would be expected given their economic and academic backgrounds and the institution's mix of majors.
• Focus on affordability. Among the factors considered: merit aid, parent and student borrowing, the length of time to graduate, tuition increases, and other measures."

Read the full methodology »

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds^®. The College is a dynamic living and learning laboratory, where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society—while at the same time evolving our methods and advancing our programs. We shape the leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to create economic and social value. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought and Action^® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.

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SOURCE Babson College

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