Forbes: UMass Lowell is a Best Buy in Education

08/05/2013

Contacts for media: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and  Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell offers one of the best buys in higher education in the nation, according to a new ranking by Forbes. 

UMass Lowell is No. 10 in the magazine’s 25 Best Value Colleges 2013 ranking and one of only two institutions in New England to make the list. Compiled as part of its annual “America’s Top Colleges” survey, Forbes considered factors including post-graduation success, low student-loan debt, academic performance and student satisfaction.

The Forbes ranking is the latest of several national surveys that put UMass Lowell at or near the top when it comes to delivering a high-quaIity, high-value education that positions graduates for future success. UMass Lowell was named the “Most Underrated College in America” by (http://read.bi/185LRUL) Business Insider last month and has also been recognized recently as one of the top universities in the nation for return on investment by PayScale.com and Affordable Colleges Online. 

The rankings looked at the cost of attending UMass Lowell and compared it with the earning potential of graduates of the university. The median return on investment (ROI) for UMass Lowell graduates over 30 years, minus the cost of their education, is $1.1 million, representing an 8.8 percent annual return, according to PayScale. UMass Lowell is in the top 1 percent of colleges and universities in the United States when it comes to ROI, Affordable Colleges Online said in its ranking. 

Both PayScale and Affordable Colleges Online placed UMass Lowell as No. 10 in the nation among hundreds of public colleges and universities surveyed. PayScale, which also ranked private institutions, placed UMass Lowell 50th nationally among all schools for 2013. UMass Lowell is one of just 75 colleges and universities in the U.S. with a 30-year net ROI of more than $1 million, according to PayScale.

“These independent rankings illustrate how UMass Lowell provides its graduates with a high-quality education at an affordable price that positions them to maximize their investment in their degree,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. “The university’s excellent reputation is spreading across the country, further adding to the value of a UMass Lowell degree.”

In addition, UMass Lowell is ranked as a top-tier national university by U.S. News & World Report – climbing 13 points in the last two years to No. 170 – and among the top 100 public universities in the country. 

UMass Lowell – which has graduated record numbers of students at each of the last six Commencement ceremonies and this year had its first graduating class of more than 3,000 – has seen enrollment grow by 40 percent in the last five years. The student body surpassed 16,000 for the first time in the university’s history and represents more than 53 countries. Average SAT scores for first-year students have climbed more than 50 points over six years and 82 percent of UMass Lowell freshmen continue on to their sophomore year. 

UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 16,000 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu