Today, Florida State University was again named one of the best values in the nation by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance in the publication’s annual ranking of public colleges, moving up two spots to 18.
The ranking highlights four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value. Kiplinger’s cited Florida State’s high four-year graduation rate, low average student debt at graduation, financial aid, low tuition and overall great value.
“We are pleased with this latest recognition. Florida State University continues to be an excellent value,” said President Eric J. Barron. “By all accounts, we are one of the most efficient and effective universities in the United States. The Kiplinger’s ranking reflects our commitment to provide the best education to our students that we possibly can while remaining accessible and affordable.”
Surely President Barron and other thinkers in the SUS must recognize that "cheapest is not always best". To stay on the trite side, "you get what you pay for". Many of our students have returned to tell me that they are not looked upon as competitive at Yale, Nortwestern, etc. The Kiplinger report is not realistic or truthful. Please do not settle back with satisfaction of that.
Posted on 1/4 4:31 PM | IP: Logged
This likely has more to do with the state's artificially low tuition rates than anything else.
Posted on 1/4 7:30 PM | IP: Logged
Originally posted by facultynole: Surely President Barron and other thinkers in the SUS must recognize that "cheapest is not always best". To stay on the trite side, "you get what you pay for". Many of our students have returned to tell me that they are not looked upon as competitive at Yale, Nortwestern, etc. The Kiplinger report is not realistic or truthful. Please do not settle back with satisfaction of that.
To me, ranking high in value means that you consider cost and quality of education. Not just cost as you imply. Barron and other thinkers will recognize this and brag about it with a challenge to imagine the potential (even higher) quality of education with additional funding.
Posted on 1/4 9:40 PM | IP: Logged
Originally posted by Batnole1:
Originally posted by facultynole: Surely President Barron and other thinkers in the SUS must recognize that "cheapest is not always best". To stay on the trite side, "you get what you pay for". Many of our students have returned to tell me that they are not looked upon as competitive at Yale, Nortwestern, etc. The Kiplinger report is not realistic or truthful. Please do not settle back with satisfaction of that.
To me, ranking high in value means that you consider cost and quality of education. Not just cost as you imply. Barron and other thinkers will recognize this and brag about it with a challenge to imagine the potential (even higher) quality of education with additional funding.
This is it exactly.
To facultynole's point, you generally "get what you pay for." At FSU, this report is basically saying "you get more than you pay for." That doesn't mean you get the best or that you are competitive with the top schools. What it does mean that if you are looking at FSU and another similarly priced University, FSU will likely be better.
It's the whole "we do more with less" philosophy that has been one of FSU's strengths for a while. If we were able to keep that relative level of efficiency and also had more money, we'd be able to do even more.
Posted on 1/5 9:32 AM | IP: Logged
Surely President Barron and other thinkers in the SUS must recognize that "cheapest is not always best". To stay on the trite side, "you get what you pay for". Many of our students have returned to tell me that they are not looked upon as competitive at Yale, Nortwestern, etc. The Kiplinger report is not realistic or truthful. Please do not settle back with satisfaction of that.
Not many schools are considered as competitive with the likes of those schools. And of course you pay about $40,000 a year for that prestige of going to a school like Yale.
Posted on 1/6 8:20 AM | IP: Logged
"Surely President Barron and other thinkers in the SUS must recognize that "cheapest is not always best". "
He asks for the highest tuition increase he is allowed to EVERY year. What else can he do? He is selling what the state forces him to
"Many of our students have returned to tell me that they are not looked upon as competitive at Yale, Nortwestern, etc. The Kiplinger report is not realistic or truthful. Please do not settle back with satisfaction of that."
You are better than this faculty. You know 'best value' is factoring in cost and then you bring up schools that can charge whatever tuition rate they want. YOU should be truthful and realistic. Nobody else is doing otherwise here but you IMHO.
Sadly, higher ed is about richer is better....despite higher ed being filled with those who play the politics of class warfare, they still are attracted to where the money is like most, honest, capitalist. FSU can't change this dynamic. Perhaps if professors, who denounce the 1% regularly, actually went to a school for something more than just the larger salary, FSU and other publics, could compete with the ultra rich Yale and Northwestern.
That all said, FSU is doing the best it can for the small amount of money it is allowed to charge for tuition.
Posted on 1/6 9:36 PM | IP: Logged
To say that faculty leave FSU for just salary is a very narrow view. Although salary is a factor, "richer" schools also have more funding for things like research support, graduate students, and travel. It's more than greed.
That said, I do agree that the best value designation isn't necessarily a bad thing. It means that FSU is doing a lot with a little. That's a good thing, and our legislature should pay attention.
Posted on 1/7 3:41 PM | IP: Logged
"Although salary is a factor, "richer" schools also have more funding for things like research support, graduate students, and travel. It's more than greed."
Those things take money. That is why you have to distinguish between a public in Florida and a private like Yale that can charge what they want.
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