Forbes’ third annual America’s Best Value College list ranks Cal Poly Pomona among the best in the nation for a students’ return on investment. The university was No. 66 among the 300 schools that made the list.
Using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard and PayScale, Forbes evaluated colleges and universities based on alumni earnings (20 percent), net price (20 percent), net student debt (20 percent), school quality (20 percent), timely graduation (10 percent) and the number of Pell Grant recipients (10 percent). For state schools, in-state tuition was used.
For this year’s rankings, released April 10, Forbes revised its methodology to emphasize alumni earnings, price and debt. The publication also switched to net price, which takes into account the impact of students’ financial aid and the costs of room and board.
At Cal Poly Pomona, more than $197 million in financial aid (including grants, loans, scholarships and federal work study) was awarded to students in 2015-16. Nearly 77 percent of students received financial aid that year.
Sixteen other CSU campuses joined Pomona on the Forbes list. They are: San Diego, Long Beach, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, Fullerton, Chico, Stanislaus, Fresno, Northridge, Sacramento, East Bay, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Maritime Academy, Sonoma and San Bernardino. Eighty percent of all CSU students receive some form of financial aid. In 2016-17, this totaled more than $4.2 billion in financial assistance.
To see an in-depth explanation of how the ranking was developed, visit the Forbes website.