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Western Washington University is one of the 100 best values in public colleges, according to ����������Բ����’s Personal Finance magazine. The ranking, released today, cites four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value.

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"Western is committed to offering an excellent education at an affordable cost,” said �������� President Bruce Shepard. “This is a direct result of the dedication of faculty and staff to provide a collaborative learning community where our students can develop their intellectual potential and achieve their goals.”

Western has appeared on the list multiple times, a testament to the consistent value the university offers. Western was 91^st on the list for 2015; 93rd on the list in 2014; ranked 74^th in 2013 and 81st in 2012.

Western also has consistently received strong rankings in U.S. News & World Report surveys of colleges and universities in the nation. Western is the according to U.S. News & World Report college rankings.

����������Բ����’s highlight public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges that combine outstanding academics with affordable cost. In addition, Kiplinger has ranked the top 100 best values in each category.  

Kiplinger assesses value by measurable standards of academic quality and affordability. Quality measures include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation.

“We start with a universe of 1,200 schools, so each school on our rankings, from number 1 to number 300, is a best value,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of ����������Բ����’s Personal Finance magazine.

The complete rankings are now available online at and will appear in print in the February 2016 issue of ����������Բ����’s Personal Finance, on newsstands Jan. 5.