The top colleges doing the most for low-income students

Posted on September 17th, 2015

While many colleges offer a great education, there are definitely some that are more accessible to low-income students than others.

For low-income students concerned about the cost of college, it’s important to know which colleges offer generous financial aid and programs that will help them succeed and graduate without taking on enormous student debt.

Fortunately, the NY Times recently put together a list of the best colleges doing the most to help low-income students attend, succeed in and pay for college.

UC colleges best for low-income students

The list included 179 of the nation’s top colleges, defined as having an overall five-year graduation rate of at least 75 percent.

They were ranked on three factors: the percentage of students receiving Pell grants (which typically go to families making less than $70,000); the graduation rate of those students; and the net cost, after financial aid, that a college charges low- and middle-income students.

By far, the University of California college system was found to be doing the most to help low-income students succeed in college.

University of California campuses made up 6 of the top 7 spots in this year’s rankings, with UC Irvine at No. 1 and the flagship UC Berkeley campus at No. 7.

Top Colleges Low Income Students

Despite budget cuts, the University of California system’s nine colleges still lead the nation in providing a top quality college education to low-income students.

Colleges that prioritize economic diversity

Other top colleges for economic diversity included the University of Florida (#6), Amherst (#9), and UNC-Chapel Hill (#16).

A few local colleges also made the top 50, including SUNY at Binghamton at 35th and Hamilton College in Clinton, NY at 37th.

Unlike other top colleges such as Oberlin, Cornell, and Wisconsin, the UC system and other colleges high on the list make economic diversity a priority and pride themselves on providing an accessible higher education to students from all backgrounds.

They do so by providing high financial aid packages to help low-income students minimize debt, as well as resources and funding to help them succeed in and graduate college.

This is extremely important, since low-income students are more likely to drop out due to debt and often aren’t given the guidance and assistance they need once they arrive at college.

Helping low-income families afford college

Whether your family is low-income or not, it’s important to be aware of which colleges are more likely to be generous throughout the financial aid process and supportive during your student’s time in college.

We help match students from all economic backgrounds with colleges that provide a quality education without leaving them saddled with student debt.

If you’re interested in learning how we can help your family afford college, call us at 1-888-234-3907 or contact us here and we’ll get back to you right away.


Category: Choosing a College

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