UB named to list of top colleges graduating students with lowest debt

UB has been named to Kiplinger’s 2014 list of the 10 best public colleges whose students have the lowest debt at graduation.

UB was ranked at No. 3 with an average student debt at graduation of $16,025, and a UB program designed to help students finish their degrees in a timely fashion received mention for helping students to keep debt low.

“The school’s ‘Finish in 4’ program focuses on helping students graduate on time and avoid the expense of an additional year,” the editors write. “Incoming freshmen work with an adviser to craft a four-year plan and pledge to fulfill a list of obligations —including limiting work to less than 20 hours per week and completing tasks such as course registration and financial aid forms on time.

“If a student meets these commitments but still doesn’t graduate in four years, UB will waive tuition and fees for any remaining coursework.”

The list of the 10 best public colleges with the lowest debt at graduation is available on Kiplinger’s website.

Only one other SUNY school, SUNY Oneonta, was named to the list, coming in at No. 2 with an average debt at graduation of $15,373, an enrollment of 5,863 and annual in-state cost of $19,486. No. 1 on the list was the University of North Georgia, with an average debt at graduation of $12,166, an undergraduate enrollment of 5,851 and annual in-state cost of $14,554.

UB, the largest school in SUNY’s 64-campus system, has an undergraduate enrollment of 19,505; the annual in-state cost is $21,447.

Schools were ranked on academic quality, as well as the financial support provided to get students to graduation day. Schools were chosen from Kiplinger’s 2014 list of the best values in public colleges, which ranked nearly 600 colleges and universities based on academics, cost and financial aid. UB is No. 51 on that list.