Rankings / Kiplinger's Report
Pomona Tops Best Values List

Pomona College has been ranked first among “Best Values” in liberal arts colleges by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine in its February 2009 edition. According to the magazine, the rankings “combine outstanding economic value with exceptional education.” Among the affordability measures considered were “cost after need-based aid” and “average debt at graduation.” The same issue also includes Kiplinger’s list of the best values among private universities.

In the accompanying article, Pomona College received praise for its “near-perfect” 99% freshman retention and long-time commitment to meeting the full financial need of qualified families. Beginning in fall 2008, Pomona replaced loans with grants in its financial aid packages. The average cost for tuition, room and board, after need-based aid, is $16,980, from a total price of $46,580.

“Pomona's determination to fund financial aid during good and bad times has paid off for Jazmin Lopez, a senior from Napa, Calif.,” writes Kiplinger’s reporter Jane Bennett Clark. “Lopez's family expected her to attend a university in the California state system. ‘My parents didn't go to college and couldn't grasp that going here might be cheaper than going to a public school,’ she says. ‘But once we got financial-aid packages from all the schools, Pomona was the one that gave me all the aid. The UC schools give a lot of loans, but I have minimal loans here.’"

Pomona was also ranked in the top 10 best private college and university values in the nation by the Princeton Review. In that survey, Pomona ranked ninth.