McDaniel College ranks No. 1 ‘Best Value’ regional university in the North by U.S. News for 2nd straight year

McDaniel College tops the U.S. News & World Report’s list of “Best Value Schools” in the North region for a second consecutive year.

The Westminster school got the nod just ahead of runner-up Bentley University, in Waltham, Massachusetts, and third-place Canisius College, in Buffalo, New York, on the North region best value list.

McDaniel also ranks among the best regional universities in the North in the “2021 Best Colleges” rankings, which was released Sept. 14. The college was also again recognized on the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” list, which highlights schools that are successful in graduating high-need students, and among “A+ Schools for B Students.”

“We are particularly proud that we continue to be nationally recognized for our commitment to access and affordability,” McDaniel College President Roger N. Casey said. “We not only provide a high-quality education, but we are invested in our students with over $40 million in grants and scholarships awarded annually. All students, regardless of their financial circumstances, can obtain a McDaniel education.”

To determine which colleges and universities offer students the best value, U.S. News & World Report takes into account a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its 2021 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2019-2020 net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid, according to the U.S. News website.

The higher the program’s quality and the lower its cost, the better the deal is for students.

Cheryl Knauer, McDaniel’s public relations director, said McDaniel has seen an increase in its total undergraduate enrollment for this fall with approximately 1,818 undergraduate students. The 2019 fall brought in 1,680.

“All of the rankings and recognition that McDaniel has received really reflect the college’s increasing national prominence,” Knauer said. “Our U.S. News ranking, in particular, helps to show McDaniel as the private college of choice for students throughout Maryland and the region.”

McDaniel now ranks along with Loyola, Stevenson, Mount St. Mary’s, and Hood College on the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” list, which evaluates schools that have advanced in social mobility factors by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell grants.

In addition to U.S. News, McDaniel was named among the top master’s universities in the nation and as a “Best Bang for the Buck” by Washington Monthly, according to the news release. McDaniel was also chosen as one the “Best Colleges in America” by Money Magazine and included among “The Best 386 Colleges” in The Princeton Review’s annual college guide for 2021, as well as recognized as a “Best Value College” for offering the best return on investment (ROI).