New College maintains high ranking for values ​​education

Today’s news

Many changes have taken place at New College of Florida in the past year, but one that hasn’t changed is its reputation for quality education, according to The Princeton Review.

The Board of Higher Education ranked the Sarasota school 20th on its list of the best value public colleges in the country, trailing Florida State University at 16th. Georgia Institute of Technology topped the list. The school remains the highest-rated small liberal arts college on the list. With just over 700 students enrolled, New College was the smallest school to make the top 50 best value public colleges. Wheaton College in Illinois, with over 2,000 students enrolled, made the list at 49th.

“A classical liberal arts education, when done well, is the best education one can receive,” said Richard Corcoran, president of New College. “The return on such an education at New College, where tuition remains affordable for American families, is an important benchmark that we seek to maintain.”

New College scored a return on investment of 91 out of a possible 99 on The Princeton Review’s metric, which is based on 40 data points. An accompanying profile on the educational service’s website quotes students highlighting the narrative assessments and final papers. “The assessments compel students to fully participate and professors to pay close attention,” says a student quote included in the profile. Notably, the profile also mentions a 30 percent minority population and a welcoming atmosphere for LGBTQ students. It also quotes students who acknowledge the proximity to the beach and downtown Sarasota as enriching campus life, even if the fun “in a glorified senior residence requires ingenuity from New College’s student body.”

Corcoran took over as president after a reorganization last year when Governor Ron DeSantis appointed a new majority of trustees who promptly ousted former President Patricia Okker.

The school has long touted its value, ranking 29th nationally on the same Princeton Review list in 2022 and 2023, so this year’s ranking marks a move up an already prestigious list.

However, New College previously ranked #3 (2022) and #4 (2023) on the Princeton Review’s list of Public Best Schools for Making an Impact, but did not make the top 20 this year. Likewise, the school previously appeared on the Public Best Alumni Networks list at #7 (2022) and #8 (last year), and did not make the top 20 this time.

However, the school jumped to No. 3 on the list of public schools with the best financial aid, up from No. 7 in 2022 and No. 4 last year.

All of this reinforces New College’s reputation as an institution that offers a high-quality liberal arts education with a low student load.

“The schools we selected as our Best Value Colleges for 2024 are a select group: They represent only about 8% of all four-year undergraduate institutions nationwide,” said Rob Franek, editor in chief of The Princeton Review, in a statement about the rankings.

“We commend their administration, faculty, staff and alumni for all they do to educate their students and guide them to successful careers. These colleges are also exceptional because they provide generous financial aid to students in need and/or because tuition is comparatively low.”