Tag: college admissions


These 5 states have the best colleges for your money

Posted on August 6th, 2014

We recently wrote about a new set of college rankings based on which colleges provide the best value for your money.

A few states dominated the list and were home to several colleges that provide students with a great bang for their tuition buck. Watch the video to find out what they were.

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The best colleges for your money

Posted on July 29th, 2014

There’s no perfect method for ranking colleges, and every media organization that releases a list has its own standards and criteria.

We tend to focus on lists that take a college’s value compared to its cost into account and which colleges leave their graduates with little student debt.

That’s why we’re intrigued–and a little surprised–at these latest rankings from Time Money. The newsmagazine recently ranked 1,500 four-year colleges by which colleges offer the most bang for your tuition buck.

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A community college transfer checklist

Posted on July 17th, 2014

We’ve written quite a bit about the benefits of starting your bachelor’s degree at a community college to save money on your education.

To make the process easier, SALT has put together a handy infographic showing a semester-by-semester breakdown of how to succeed at a community college and put yourself in the best position possible to get into and pay for a 4-year college.

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Cost of college tops $60,000 at 50 colleges

Posted on July 11th, 2014

It’s no secret that college tuition has risen dramatically over the past two decades. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2013–2014 school year was $30,094 at private colleges.

But the news that 50 colleges now charge more than $60,000 per year, according to Business Insider, makes that $30,000 bill look like a bargain.

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Did need-blind admission create the college debt crisis?

Posted on July 7th, 2014

"In sum, 'need-blind' admissions, summoning a mental image of the coal miner or bus driver’s daughter striding her way across the college green, quite often leaves that daughter 60 or 70 thousand dollars in debt." -- John McWhorter

Many of the nation’s top universities, such as Harvard, Stanford and Duke, are lauded for having need-blind admissions policies, meaning they don’t take into account a student’s ability to pay for college when making admissions decisions. These schools say the policy a way to make sure the best students are accepted because of their merit, […]

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1/3 of high school graduates didn’t go to college last year

Posted on June 30th, 2014

With college tuition rising every year and student debt at an all-time high $1.2 trillion, it’s not surprising that students and families have begun to question whether college is actually worth the cost.

Most likely due to high costs, high school graduates are choosing to forgo college in favor of working. But at what cost?

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Mo’ debt, mo’ problems

Posted on June 26th, 2014

"The amount of student loans that graduates take out to pay for their undergraduate degree is related to their well-being in every element. The higher the loan amount, the worse the well-being." -- Gallup-Purdue University study

It’s an age-old question that’s been debated by philosophers from Socrates to The Notorious B.I.G.: Does mo’ money equal mo’ problems? It just might, if that money is being taken out to pay for college. Graduates with student debt are less happy Many students and families think that attending a prestigious, well-known college is the […]

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“Freakonomics” author talks higher education

Posted on June 24th, 2014

"The more knowledge you acquire, the better you will do. But it doesn’t mean the college track is right, especially when you’re overpaying." -- Stephen Dubner

Is a college degree worth the cost? Should everyone go to college? In the video below from CNN Money, “Freakomics” author and journalist Stephen Dubner answers these questions about higher education and offers his take on the rising cost of college. Dubner says that, overall, getting a college degree pays off over time. If, however, […]

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College admissions are less competitive than you think

Posted on May 25th, 2014

While most in the media tend to focus on ultra-low acceptance rates of Ivy League colleges, in reality, most colleges aren’t nearly that competitive.

In fact, at most public and private colleges, the acceptance rate is over 50%.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 84% percent of public colleges admit at least half of all students who apply, and 80% of all private, not-for-profit colleges do.

And these less competitive colleges enroll significantly more students than the small number of schools that have lower acceptance rates.

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Could free college tuition be on the way?

Posted on May 22nd, 2014

Tennessee may be known for its great weather, country music and being Elvis’s hometown, but that might soon change.

According to ThinkProgress, in April, Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill that will make tuition free for all high school graduates who go to a two-year college as long as they meet the requirements of the “Tennessee Promise” program.

As part of the program, after graduating from high school, students will have to maintain a 2.0 grade point average, attend mandatory meetings, work with a mentor, and do community service. As long as they fulfill these obligations, their college education is free.

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