Forbes Ranks Valparaiso University as Top College

Valparaiso University consistently achieves national recognition for excellence by Forbes Magazine. The University has earned recognition by Forbes 2017 rankings as one of the top 75 colleges in the Midwest and appears on Forbes Magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges” list.

The 2017 ranking is the 10th annual Forbes ranking of best colleges and universities. In compiling its Top Colleges list, Forbes favors “output” over “input,” analyzing factors such as alumni salary, graduation rate, and academic success. According to Forbes’ methodology, postgraduate success, student debt, and the student experience are three of the most important variables considered in the compilation of its annual ranking.

Schools that offer the best return on investment rank highest on Forbes’ list. At Valparaiso University, graduate placement has exceeded 90 percent for 24 consecutive years, and the student loan default rate of 3.5 is well below the national average of 11.3.

Valparaiso University’s excellent graduate placement rate is a direct result of high-quality academic programming delivered by gifted and passionate faculty at a reasonable cost. Valpo awards more than $100 million to undergraduate students annually, with 93 percent of students receiving financial assistance through scholarships, grants, loans, and/or campus employment.

Valparaiso University has also been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 4 Best Regional University, among more than 140 universities in the category, and as No. 1 in the Midwest for both Best Value and Best Undergraduate Teaching for 2017.