Low tuition and living costs, great financial aid, student satisfaction and above-average post-graduate salaries earned Grove City College a place among the top ten best value schools in Pennsylvania, according to financial technology company SmartAsset.
Grove City College is recognized – along with Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh – as a top pick in the Keystone State for students seeking the best return on their tuition investment. The College holds the number 9 spot, ahead of the state’s public flagship, Penn State.
SmartAsset weighed a number of factors to cull the list of statewide standouts, including tuition cost, scholarship and grant awards, student living costs, retention rates and average starting salaries of graduates.
The College had the lowest tuition and student living costs among the top ten colleges and universities identified by SmartAsset, which specializes in personal finance. Tuition for the 2020-21 school year stands at $18,930, with room and board set at $10,310.
Grove City College’s numbers showed average scholarships and grants at $6,613 and an average starting salary of $54,400. The final factor, the retention rate, stands at 88 percent, which indicates the vast majority of students are satisfied with the Grove City College experience and outcomes.
SmartAsset is not alone in its assessment of Grove City College. Both The Princeton Review and Forbes identify the College as a best value and U.S. News and World Report identifies it as the least expensive private college in Pennsylvania, as well as one of the nation’s top liberal arts schools.
The College is also ranked as one of the most conservative colleges in the United States by Niche, Newsmax and Young Americas Foundation.