Value Colleges Releases Top 35 Colleges That Support A Gap Year

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Jan. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Value Colleges (www.valuecolleges.com), an independent online guide to the best values in undergraduate and graduate education, is pleased to share their Top 35 Colleges That Support A Gap Year at https://www.valuecolleges.com/ranking/supportive-college-gap-year/

With rising tuitions, growing debt, and more competition for applicants, students graduating from high school and looking at their prospects have a lot to consider. Gap years have become a common way for students to improve their chances of admission and figure out their college and career paths before committing. That's why Value Colleges has ranked the Top 35 Colleges That Support A Gap Year - to lead prospective students to the colleges and universities that offer the most support and flexibility for gap year students.

Value Colleges uses three data points to determine ranking:

• Graduation Rate (IPEDS data)
• Cost (IPEDS)
• Return on Investment (College Scorecard data)

Without further ado, the top 3 Gap Year Friendly Colleges are: (1) Princeton University, (2) Harvard University, and (3) Georgia Institute of Technology. Value Colleges congratulates the top 3, as well as all the top 35!

The full list, in alphabetical order, reads as follows:

American University - Washington, DC

Augsburg University - Minneapolis, MN

Beloit College - Beloit, WI

Berry College - Rome, GA

College of William and Mary - Williamsburg, VA

College of the Holy Cross - Worcester, MA

Colorado College - Colorado Springs, CO

Cornell College - Mount Vernon, IA

Duke University - Durham, NC

Emory University - Atlanta, GA

Florida State University - Tallahassee, FL

Georgia Institute of Technology - Atlanta, GA

Harvard University - Cambridge, MA

Harvey Mudd College - Claremont, CA

James Madison University - Harrisonburg, VA

Lewis & Clark College - Portland, OR

Long Island University Global - Brooklyn, NY

MIT - Cambridge, MA

Macalester College - Saint Paul, MN

Middlebury College - Middlebury, VT

Naropa University - Boulder, CO

Portland State University - Portland, OR

Prescott College - Prescott, AZ

Princeton University - Princeton, NJ

Saint Edward's University - Austin, TX

Texas Christian University - Fort Worth, TX

Tufts University - Medford, MA

University of Denver - Denver, CO

University of Hartford - Hartford, CT

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Chapel Hill, NC

University of Oregon - Eugene, OR

Warren Wilson University - Swannanoa, NC

Wesleyan University - Middletown, CT

Wheaton College - Wheaton, IL

Yale University - New Haven, CT

As VC editors explain, "What used to be considered a luxury – a whole year off to 'find yourself' or 'see the world'? – is becoming more and more common, especially as students begin to question whether college is really worth it for them." While privileged students once took a gap year for fun, today's gap year students are doing a lot more with their time: service, self-improvement, caring for family members, starting a business. "Taking a gap year during college doesn't mean prolonging your education," according to the editors. "Instead, when students participate in programs through colleges that allow deferment, they're further adding to their educational experience."

Knowing how important a gap year can be for young students, many colleges and universities have developed their own programs for service and travel, or written supportive policies for students who want to defer their admission. It makes sound sense: "Colleges lose when students aren't prepared and drop out; students lose when they choose a college or major that isn't the right fit. The gap year solves those problems," the VC editors explain. That's why the Value Colleges ranking of the Top 35 College That Support a Gap Year is valuable to prospective students and their families, as well as the colleges themselves.

Value Colleges has a mission to help future students - whether they are working professionals, new graduates, minority and first-generation students, or others - to find residential and online degree programs that will help them make their goals a reality. Value Colleges is independent and unbiased, ranking degree programs, providing guides for the complex financial and professional questions of college students, and offering honest facts about the potential and pitfalls of a college education.

Media Contact:
Rhonda Corey
Media Manager, Value Colleges
[email protected] 
512.710.9901

SOURCE Value Colleges

Related Links

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