SOSU Ranks Number 1 In Affordability According To National Magazine
Press Release Date: 08-18-2006
Are you looking for a quality college education at an affordable cost?
Then look no further than Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
According to the just-released 2007 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges, Southeastern ranks as one of the most affordable universities in the country when it comes to higher education.
In the Best Colleges edition, Southeastern Oklahoma State University ranks number one in the West geographic region in the Universities — Master’s category for the lowest debt loads by students from the class of 2005.
“To be recognized nationally in this category is a significant statement about our University,” said Southeastern President Dr. Glen D. Johnson. “This ranking by U.S. News & World Report underscores the fact that our combination of low tuition and significant scholarship and financial aid make Southeastern a great value for our students. Our scholarship programs and other financial aid opportunities will continue to be one of our top priorities at the University.”
The latest data shows that 78 percent of Southeastern students receive scholarships or other financial aid assistance.
As the Best Colleges edition notes, “many undergraduates leave college weighed down by student debt. U.S. News has compiled a list of the schools whose students in the class of 2005 graduated with the heaviest and lightest debt loads. The data includes loans taken out by students from the colleges, from financial institutions, and from federal, state, and local governments. Parents’ loans are not included.”
The magazine ranks schools by what percentage of the student body has debt and, by extrapolation, what percentage graduated debt free. Using this criteria, only 30 percent of Southeastern graduates had any debt at all — the lowest and best percentage among all of the Universities-Master’s institutions in the West Region and the second-lowest in the nation in the same category.
America’s Best Colleges also shows the “average amount of debt,” which is the average cumulative amount borrowed by those students who incurred debt, not the average for all students. By this measure, the average amount of debt for Southeastern graduates was $6,124, which again ranked Southeastern tops in the West Region as well as second nationally in the Universities-Master’s category.
“We’ve been telling parents and prospective students that Southeastern is the best value in the region,” said Dr. Jeff Hale, vice president for enrollment management, marketing and intercollegiate athletics. “The 2007 U.S. News ranking now confirms that our graduates experience the most affordable university education in America.”
