Oglethorpe University Is Only Georgia University Named to Fiske's Top 20 "Best Buy" Schools in U.S.

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ATLANTA, GA (07/11/2018) The Fiske Guide to Colleges has once again designated Oglethorpe University among its Best Buy Colleges and Universities. Oglethorpe is the only university in Georgia to make the 2019 list, narrowed to just ten private and ten public colleges and universities nationwide.

For 35 years, the Fiske Guide has chosen a select group of schools noted for quality academic offerings and affordable cost for its annual Best Buy list. These are schools that, in the judgment of the Fiske editors, offer "outstanding educational value as determined by academic quality in relation to the net cost of attendance."

Specifically for Oglethorpe University, Fiske noted: "This urban-based liberal arts college attracts a student body rich in socioeconomic and racial diversity, thanks in part to a generous financial aid that includes a $1,000 grant for every admitted student who completes the FAFSA, regardless of need."

Oglethorpe's student population of 1250 undergraduates is uniquely diverse, with 59% women / 41% men; 56% U.S. minority; 8.5% international; 38% first generation students; and 40% Pell eligible. Oglethorpe awards over $22 million in financial aid each year, with 97% of students receiving merit or need-based aid.

"Oglethorpe's financial aid makes us an attractive alternative to state schools, and the added value of the Oglethorpe experience is that it's highly individualized," said Dr. Glenn Sharfman, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "We're a close knit campus, with small classes taught by exceptional teachers who know their students on a one-on-one basis and whose mission is to change lives."

The results speak for themselves.

  • 81% of Oglethorpe students complete at least one internship or field experience;
  • 86% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within one year of graduation;
  • 95% of graduates say their education prepared them to communicate effectively and think critically

For 2019, Fiske has limited their list to only 20 public and private colleges and universities from around the country:

Private:
Birmingham-Southern College
Grinnell College
Houghton College
Kalamazoo College
Mount Holyoke College
Oglethorpe University
Olin College of Engineering
Rice University
Vanderbilt University
Warren Wilson College

Public:
University of Arizona
The Evergreen State College
University of Florida
University of Iowa
New College of Florida
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Purdue University
SUNY - Binghamton University
Texas A&M University
Truman State University

Edward B. Fiske served for seventeen years as education editor of the New York Times, during which time he realized that college-bound students and their families needed better information on which to base their educational choices. He wrote the Fiske Guide to College to help them, updated annually with the Fiske editorial team.

About Oglethorpe University


Founded in 1835, Oglethorpe University is Atlanta's only co-educational small private college, home to 1250 eclectic and engaged students from 33 states and 38 countries.

Renowned for its groundbreaking Core program, Oglethorpe's academically rigorous programs emphasize intellectual curiosity, individual attention, close collaboration among faculty and students, and active learning in relevant field experiences. Oglethorpe joins theory and practice in its A_LAB (Atlanta Laboratory for Learning), an incubator for experiential learning through internships, study abroad, civic engagement, and undergraduate research.

Under the leadership of President Lawrence Schall since 2005, Oglethorpe has entered an unprecedented era of innovation and growth, evidenced by increased enrollment and philanthropic giving, and new strategic entrepreneurial partnerships. Since 2013, Oglethorpe has seen the addition of an award-winning campus center; a residential complex with six state-of-the-art classrooms; and the expansion of arts and athletics facilities. Oglethorpe's partnership venture with LeadAbroad has expanded its global footprint with the development of five global campuses in Barcelona, Cape Town, Greece, London, and Rome. Oglethorpe will open the I.W. 'Ike' Cousins Center for Science and Innovation in 2019.

Oglethorpe is home to the Conant Performing Arts Center, Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, study abroad partner LeadAbroad, and the Piedmont School of Atlanta. The Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels compete in the NCAA Division III Southern Athletic Association.

Website: oglethorpe.edu