By CHARLENE SLAUGHTER, T&D Special Assignments | Monday, July 30, 2007

Claflin University can add another national ranking to its list of rankings over the years. This time, it is the third-best among private colleges and universities in terms of top value, according to Consumers Digest Magazine.

"The first thing we must acknowledge is that this magazine simply sought to identify the schools that offer the most academic value per dollar," Claflin University President Henry Tisdale said. "This ranking gives parents and students a clear indication of what they are going to get for the investment they make in their sons and daughters."

One hundred colleges and universities from some 3,800 U.S. schools were ranked as the top values by Consumers Digest Magazine. The rankings are based on attributes that validate or define the institutions' academic prowess factored against annual cost of tuition and room-and-board. Among 25 private institutions, Claflin was ranked third behind Brigham Young-Hawaii with top honors and Trinity College of Florida at second. Greenville's Furman University was ranked fifth among private liberal arts schools.

The rankings, published in Consumers Digest's June issue, were derived from a formula that blended the academic excellence of first-time freshman at a school (standardized test scores, high-school rank, grade-point average) with the institution's educational quality (4- and 6-year graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, percentage of faculty holding a PhD). That "value-index" score was factored with the cost of attending each school to determine which schools offered the most academic value per dollar. The rankings were based on information from 2005-06, the latest school year for which data was available.

"Expert opinions and solid recommendations are two of our strengths," said Randy Weber, publisher of Consumers Digest. "We applied those strengths to this examination of our country's higher-learning institutions. It's designed to help parents and students find schools that will meet families' performance and financial requirements."

Consumers Digest first whittled down the list of schools based on a minimum level of academic performance by students institutions accepted. For public schools, the magazine only considered nonresident tuition figures. Military institutions and extremely specialized colleges were excluded. Financial aid was not factored in.

"I think it says to parents and students and all of those who support us at Claflin University that there's great academic value here and we believe that academic excellence should be a flagship for this institution," Tisdale said. "This is another external national entity solidifying and affirming that you get great value at Claflin University. This is consistent with our commitment and our vision of Claflin University, a premier liberal arts institution in the nation. I am pleased to see more and more national organizations and magazines recognizing the excellence at the university."

Twenty-seven public institutions are new to CD's Top-50 list vs. 2004's evaluation. Among private colleges/universities and liberal arts schools, only 12 of the schools from the 2004s report remained this year. The average Consumers Digest value-index score among private colleges/universities is 95.3, more than a point higher than before, indicating improved academic performance; yet the new average value-index score for public institutions is 94.2, nearly a point lower than in 2004. The average annual cost of attendance at CD's top schools was up: to $28,979 at private colleges/universities, from $24,842; and to $16,684 at public colleges/universities, from $15,865.

"There has been a national cry for institutions to be accountable in terms of accessibility we give to students, the value of education we provide and the percentage of students we graduate," Tisdale said. "The ranking is important for students and parents who look to come study at Claflin and a great message for people who have supported and continue to support this university."

Consumer Digest's Top 100 College Values accompanied an article titled "2007 College Road Map -- Making the Right Choices," which examines how schools are making admissions decisions today. Two other articles, "Financial Aid: Know Your Options" and "Report Card: Grading Online Education," round out the magazine's eight-page section.

T&D Special Assignments Writer Charlene Slaughter can be reached at cslaughter@timesanddemocrat.com and 803-533-5529.