RELEASED: January 12, 2010

By Abby Malik

DANVILLE, KY—Centre College has been named one of The Princeton Review's 100 "Best Value Colleges for 2010" and is the only Kentucky institution to appear on the list.

Centre is included in the list of the top 50 best-value private colleges and universities.

Centre President John Roush sees this latest analysis as part of a continuing pattern of positive regard for the College:

"Any individual ranking or listing will be subjective in many ways, but our recognition as one of the nation’s 50 best-value private colleges or universities—a group that includes Princeton, Harvard and Stanford—is another illustration that wherever you look, Centre is among the leaders in American higher education."

He continues: "The exceptional value of the learning experience we offer has also been noted by U.S. News and Kiplinger's, among all others, and Consumers Digest ranks Centre as the No. 1 value among all the nation’s liberal arts colleges.” (Read Roush's college rankings op-ed)

One of America's most widely known education services and test-prep companies, The Princeton Review teamed up with USA TODAY to present the Princeton Review's 100 "Best Value Colleges for 2010."

The "Best Value" colleges list features 50 public and 50 private colleges and universities. Institutions are selected as "best value" choices for 2010 based on surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private colleges and universities—schools that the editors considered "most selective out of more than 2,000 public and private four-year schools in the USA," writes Jack Gillum of USA
TODAY.

The selection criteria covers more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, cost of attendance and financial aid, using the most recently reported data from each institution for its 2007-08 academic year.

The Princeton Review writes that "an intense academic atmosphere and a tremendous amount of interaction between students and their impressively dedicated professors are a couple of the big draws at Centre College, a haven of the liberal arts in a small Kentucky town. Centre’s rigorous core curriculum ensures that you don’t leave without the ability to think critically, speak publicly, and write thoughtfully."

The 2010 report also mentions the College's loyal alumni, saying, "Year after year, the percentage of alumni who find it in their hearts to contribute to the old alma mater is among the highest of all undergraduate institutions in the United States. The need-based financial aid and merit scholarships available here are among the most generous in the nation. Scholarships at Centre are available for 40 to 50 percent of each first-year class. More than 85 percent of all entering students receive financial aid in some form."

Visitors to The Princeton Review's and USA TODAY's Web sites can access the complete lists of the 50 private and 50 public "best value colleges."

USA TODAY's Web site features an interactive map where visitors can explore criteria including cost of attendance and financial aid data, enrollment size and the Princeton Review's analysis of why each school was chosen as a "Best Value" college.

Have comments, suggestions, or story ideas? E-mail leigh.ivey@centre.edu with your feedback.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.