UA Again Named as a 'College That Pays You Back'
The Princeton Review has highlighted the University's commitment to educational value and post-college success.

University Communications
Feb. 1, 2017


The University of Arizona has again been recognized for its educational value by the Princeton Review.

For the third consecutive year, the UA is among 200 colleges and universities featured in the 2017 edition of "Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck."

"I am so pleased that the University of Arizona's dedication to students and their families has been recognized by the Princeton Review," said UA President Ann Weaver Hart. "The UA has always sought to create an accessible, affordable educational experience for all of our students. I am especially proud of the UA's guaranteed tuition program, which helps students better project the costs of a UA education, providing stability and peace of mind for four academic years, and am very glad that our efforts have had a positive impact."

The Princeton Review chose the schools based on return-on-investment ratings it tallied for 650 schools last year. The ratings weighted more than 40 data points that covered everything from academics, cost and financial aid to graduation rates, student debt, and alumni salaries and job satisfaction. Princeton Review editors culled data from the company's surveys of administrators and students in 2015-2016 and from PayScale.com surveys of school alumni conducted through April 2016.

"The Princeton Review's recognition underscores our dedication to make a UA degree one of the most valuable in the nation. We've taken major steps to ease the transition between education and the workplace," said Melissa Vito, senior vice president for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management and senior vice provost for Academic Initiatives & Student Success. "Ninety-two percent of employers rate UA grads as having the skills needed to succeed on the job, compared to just 23 percent of grads nationally, and 89 percent of employers say UA grads exceed the quality of their peers. Employers notice the difference that our emphasis on soft skills makes when coupled with a world-class UA degree."

The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in this list, but it does rate them on a scale from 1 to 100 in a variety of categories. The UA rated particularly well in the campus life category, excelling in green initiatives (93), quality of life (92) and fire safety (91). The UA also earned high marks in return on investment (84), financial aid (81) and admissions (80).

Students surveyed by the Princeton Review said the UA is a "highly regarded research institution that promotes academic excellence" while offering "a good education at a good price." According to PayScale.com, the average UA grad receives a starting salary of $50,100.

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