Yale, Swarthmore rank tops in value by Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Yale University and Swarthmore College top the latest Kiplinger's Personal Finance list of best values among private colleges and universities.
The Kiplinger's list takes into account financial aid to determine the best value among 100 universities and 100 liberal arts colleges.
Among Massachusetts-based private colleges, Amherst, Williams and Wellesley were in the top 20.
According to Kiplinger's, the total cost per year at Wellesley College was $55,914, but the average need-based aid package was $36,971.
Among Massachusetts-based universities, Harvard and MIT ranked in the top 20 of best values.
The magazine ranked Harvard sixth in value. The total cost at Harvard was pegged at $55,496, offset by a $42,229 average need-based aid package.
At Yale, Kiplinger's said, the average financial aid package lowers the annual $52,700 cost to $13,786. The magazine found that 10 other private universities and eight liberal arts colleges keep the annual cost below $20,000 when financial aid is taken into account.
