Brooklyn College is one of the nation’s best values for an undergraduate education, according to the Princeton Review in its just-published book, The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition. In its profile of Brooklyn College, the Massachusetts-based education services company praises the school for its “rigorous academic standards” and quotes from Brooklyn College students surveyed by the Princeton Review who said that “my academic gains have been substantial” and that “each professor allows students to have free reign of their thoughts and ideas.” In addition, the School of Education is ranked among the top 20 in the country for graduates, many of whom go on to be the best teachers in New York City. “We commend Brooklyn College and all of the extraordinary colleges on our 2012 Best Value Colleges list for all they are doing to keep costs down and offer generous aid to applicants with financial need — all while maintaining excellent academic programs,” says Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior vice president/publisher and lead author of 2012 edition. The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition, subtitled “The 150 Best-Buy Colleges and What It Takes to Get In,” features profiles of 75 public and 75 private colleges, with detailed information about their campus culture, facilities and financial aid offerings. The list and information about the schools are also posted on a dedicated area of USATODAY.com, which has been the Princeton Review’s online publishing partner for this project since 2009. The site features an exclusive database that allows users to view in-depth details about the schools by clicking on an interactive map. Users can explore such criteria as cost of attendance and financial aid data, enrollment size, location and the Princeton Review’s analysis of why it chose each school as a “best value.” The Princeton Review selected the schools based on institutional data and student opinion surveys collected from 650 colleges and universities the company regards as the nation’s academically best undergraduate institutions. The selection process analyzed more than 30 data points broadly covering academics, cost and financial aid. Data on academics came from its fall 2010 through fall 2011 surveys of school administrators. Cost and financial aid data came from the company’s fall 2011 surveys of school administrators. Data from students attending the schools over these years included their assessments of their professors and their satisfaction with their financial aid awards.
