Towson University ranks 26th of 176 U.S. public and private master’s universities on Washington Monthly’s 2014 “Best Bang for the Buck” list, where the magazine ranks “schools that do the best job helping non-rich students earn marketable degrees at affordable prices.”
In addition, TU occupies the No. 223 spot in a list of 671 U.S. public and private master’s universities in Washington Monthly’s 2014 College Rankings issue. (Last year TU ranked 334 on a list of 684 schools.)
The magazine rates colleges based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students); Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and Ph.D.s); and Public Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).
Washington Monthly‘s editors explain that their annual rankings “have always rejected the idea that expense, luxury, and exclusivity should be held up as the highest values for colleges and students to aspire to. Instead, we ask a different question: What are colleges doing for the country?
“Instead of crediting colleges that reject the most applicants, we recognize those that do the best job of enrolling and graduating low-income students. Our rankings measure both pure research spending and success in preparing undergraduates to earn PhDs.
“And by giving equal weight to public service, we identify colleges that build a sense of obligation to their communities and the nation at large.”
