Elmhurst College No. 4 on 'Best Value' list

ELMHURST — U.S. News & World Report has placed Elmhurst College fourth in the Midwest among colleges and universities that offer the best value for the money.

According to U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges rankings for 2017, lmhurst shot up five spots this year in the Best Value Schools in the Midwest category, from No. 9 last year to No. 4 this year. U.S. News calculated the rankings by taking into account a school's academic quality and cost. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their U.S. News ranking categories were included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that perform well academically: The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.

For a second year, Elmhurst College also kept its No. 10 spot among 115 colleges and universities across the Midwest in the Best Regional Universities category, for institutions that provide a full range of undergraduate majors and master's degree programs.

Elmhurst College also ranked 10th in the Midwest in the category of Best Colleges for Veterans. The category provides military veterans and active-duty service members with data on which top-ranked schools offer benefits that can help make a college education more affordable. To be ranked, a school had to be in the top half of its Best Colleges ranking category and have 20 or more students (enrolled in the Fall of 2015) who were using GI Bill benefits to fund their tuition and fees. The institution also must participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

“We're very proud to see national rankings like U.S. News continue to affirm Elmhurst College as a higher-education institution of outstanding quality and value, not only for traditional undergraduates but also for graduate students and veterans,” said President Troy VanAken. “Our growing reputation as a Best Value School underscores our commitment to providing all of our students with an excellent education for the money.”