Valparaiso University Ranks in Top 10 Indiana Colleges with Best Return on Investment

Valparaiso University was recently listed as No. 8 in Affordable Colleges Online’s rankings of the top colleges and universities in Indiana for the greatest lifetime return on investment.

“This ranking is a testament to Valpo’s commitment to providing an outstanding education to our students that is also affordable and within reach,” said David Fevig, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management. “We believe any student who has the ability and desire to succeed at Valpo should be able to do so, which is why our undergraduate students receive significant financial support from our endowment and other funds, as well as federal, state and private sources, totaling about $80 million.”

The announcement comes after President Obama’s charge to rank colleges in terms of overall value, considering the college’s ability to make student debt manageable and to produce graduates who have “strong career potential when they graduate.” Valparaiso University recently announced their graduates have achieved a placement rate of higher than 90 percent for 20 consecutive years.

“The president has made it clear that we need to do better as a nation when it comes to making college affordable,” Affordable Colleges Online founder Dan Schuessler said in a press release. “While true, we also need to remain focused on education quality, namely on the colleges and universities with a history of producing successful graduates.”

More than 150 colleges and universities were analyzed for the rankings and only 27 made the list. Valparaiso University is included in the top 10, among schools such as the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Indiana University Bloomington and Butler University.

Affordable Colleges Online identifies an institution’s return on investment by calculating the incremental lifetime earnings of a graduate less the cost of his or her education. The rankings look at college as an investment in a student’s future earning potential, while accounting for student debt.