Quality and Value Earn Truman a Spot Among the Best Colleges in America

Truman continues to receive high praise for helping students earn degrees while keeping the cost of their education low.

The most-recent accolades come from The Business Journals, which ranked Truman at No. 40 on its list of the best public colleges in America. The Business Journals looked at nearly 500 four-year public institutions nationwide and based its rankings on 19 indicators of academic excellence, affordability and diversity. The study's objective was to identify the public universities and colleges that offer the best educational experiences to their students.

According to the article accompanying the Feb. 12 release of The Business Journals’ rankings, 70 percent of U.S. students who earned bachelor’s degrees in 2013 went into debt to finance their educations, with typical graduates owing more than $28,000. By comparison, half of Truman’s students graduate without any student debt and the other half graduate with debt well below the state and national averages.

Cost was one of three core categories—out of six total—where Truman earned a five-star rating. Truman’s high marks from Forbes, Kiplinger’s, Washington Monthly and U.S. News and World Report were also taken into consideration by The Business Journals’ rankings. The complete rankings can be found online.

Praise from The Business Journals is just the latest for the University. Last week the Princeton Review included Truman in its new book, “Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Best Value Colleges and What It Takes to Get In.” Although Truman is a perennial fixture in Princeton Review listings, inclusion in this particular book is notable as it is the first to factor in data regarding academics, cost, financial aid, graduation rates, alumni salaries and job satisfaction. One of only 77 public schools to be included, the book noted Truman “offers a private school education at a public price” and that “comprehensive financial aid programs can be used to make sure that students are able to focus on their studies.”