Table 13: Money Magazine Measures of Educational Quality

1. Entrance examination results

Percentage of freshmen who entered college with verbal and math scores above 500 on the SAT or above 23 on the Composite ACT.

2. Class rank

Percentage of entering freshmen who finished in either the top fifth or top quarter of their high school classes, depending on which statistic the colleges could provide.

3. High school grade point average

Average high school GPA on a four-point scale of entering freshman class.

4. Faculty resources

Ratio of the number of full- and part-time undergraduates to the number of full- and part-time faculty.

5. Core faculty

Ratio of students to faculty members who hold the highest degrees available in their field.

6. Faculty deployment

Ratio of students to tenured faculty who actually taught classes in autumn session.

7. Library resources

Ratio of the total of all reference materials, including books, periodicals and microfilm, to the number of students using the campus libraries.

8. Instructional budget

Expenditure per student, based on U.S. Department of Education reports.

9. Student services budget

Amount of money per student spent on services such as career guidance and student activities.

10. Freshman retention rate

Percentage of freshmen who returned to school the following year.

11. Four-year graduation rates

Percentage of students who earn degrees in four years.

12. Five- and six-year graduation rates

Percentage of freshmen who graduated within a five or six year period. (Five-year rates were used only if six-year rates wee not available.)

13. Advanced study

Percentage of each college's graduates who went on to professional or graduate schools.

14. Default ratio on student loans

Percentage of students who default on their loans within two years of leaving school.

15. Graduates who earn doctorates

Percent of undergraduates who went on to earn doctorates between 1983 and 1992.

16. Business success

Number of top executives listed in Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives who attended the school.

Source: Money Guide: Your Best College Buys Now 1996 Edition. New York: Time Inc.