Colorado College a top value

Colorado College is the 15th best value among private liberal arts colleges across the country, according to the April issue of Kiplinger's magazine. The college's annual total cost for the 2006-07 academic year that includes tuition, fees, room and board and estimated book expenses totals $41,612. Of those receiving financial aid, 86 percent came through grants and scholarships, which is one of the highest in the country, the magazine reported. After receiving need-based aid, students are left with an annual cost of $17,895, and after non-need-based aid $26,468, both the second-lowest among the top 15.

Of those that apply to CC, 38 percent are accepted, and of those 84 percent scored 600 or higher on the verbal and math components of the SAT, or 24 or higher on the ACT. CC's weakness in the ranking was its graduation rate - 77 percent of incoming freshmen graduated in four years and 82 percent in five years, which was the lowest grad rate among the colleges in the top 15.