Students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette are getting a good deal on a college education.
That’s according to Forbes. The business magazine released its “Best Value Colleges 2018” rankings last week.
Editors first considered 650, four-year public and private universities, and then winnowed the list to 300. They did not consider for-profit colleges.
UL Lafayette was No. 205 overall. But when the list is sorted by tuition price, the University is among 75 institutions nationwide where students pay the least and still see “a healthy return,” the magazine’s editors wrote in a press release.
The University’s in-state tuition was $8,256 in 2016-2017, the academic year on which the publication based the list.
To compile the rankings, Forbes considered net price, net debt, school quality, timely graduation and the number of students who secure Pell Grants, federally subsidized financial aid that recipients don’t have to pay back.
The magazine also factored in earning potential.
A person who graduates from UL Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree has an average annual salary of $46,300. After a decade of work, graduates average $89,100 a year.
This is the third year Forbes has compiled its “Best Value Colleges” rankings. .
Photo credit: Doug Dugas / University of Louisiana at Lafayette