UA earns another ranking as one of Ohio’s best values in higher education
The University of Akron (UA) is once again being recognized as one of the top higher education values in Ohio.
The website SmartAsset has ranked UA in the top 10 among Ohio colleges and universities with the best value for students. Of the top 10 Ohio institutions listed in the ranking, UA is the third-highest public university ranked and eighth overall.
“We are pleased to again be recognized as one of the best values for higher education in the state,” said Steve McKellips, the University’s vice provost for enrollment management. “UA has recently transformed its financial aid structure to ensure we are affordable for all students who want to pursue their academic and career goals. Students choose UA because they are confident that they will graduate with a minimal financial burden and with a degree that gets their career started in a desirable professional field.”
The University offers several financial aid options, including the recently expanded Making Akron Possible (MAP) Grant. This grant offers full tuition and fee coverage to eligible new and transfer students from Summit, Stark, Medina, Portage, Cuyahoga and Wayne counties.
In the past two years, a number of online ranking sites have included UA in listings of best values in higher education in Ohio, nationally and internationally:
• College Consensus ranked UA 64th in the nation for most affordable online colleges in 2024;
• The Study Abroad Aide (SAA) World Rankings for Best Value Universities for International Students ranked UA in the top 12 percent of universities across 69 countries in 2024; and
• The global ranking site EdSmart ranked UA No. 15 on a 2024 list of the most affordable universities in the country for a pre-med degree.
SmartAsset, an online site for consumer-focused financial information and advice, determined the best value colleges and universities in the U.S. across the categories of tuition, student living costs, scholarship and grant offerings, student retention rate and starting salary for new graduates.
The financial site then compared the factors that illustrate a student’s return on investment. Student retention rate shows the percentage of students who are re-enrolling at the institution from year-to-year. The average starting salary illustrates the potential financial earnings of new graduates when they enter the workforce. Additionally, scholarships and grants show the amount of financial backing colleges are endowing to their student body on a per-person basis.
SmartAsset applied 25% weighting to starting salary, tuition and living costs, and 12.5% weighting to scholarships, grants and retention rate to come up with the Best Value Colleges index. Schools were ranked in accordance with their score on the index.
Media contact: Cristine Boyd; 330-972-6476; cboyd@uakron.edu