Kiplinger's names JMU a best value college

James Madison University ranks 62nd on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges. The university also ranks No. 209 among all public and private colleges in the company’s Top 300 Best College Values of 2017.

Kiplinger’s value rankings are based on academic quality and affordability standards, including admission rates, freshman retention, student-faculty ratios, four-year graduation rates, cost and average debt at graduation.

In the 2017 best values reporting JMU has a 73 percent admission rate. The freshman retention rate is 91 percent and the four-year graduation rate is 66 percent. The student-faculty ratio is 16 to 1. The annual costs for an in-state student are $20,652, which includes tuition, fees, room and board, and estimated book expense. 

The complete rankings are available.