Normally in a college setting, students are defined by numbers. In this case, Fairfield University is, too.
A number of rankings have been released, placing Fairfield alongside some of the most prestigious colleges in the United States. One of the more important rankings, according to Fairfield, posted on the homepage of the university website, is the 2014 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranking that listed the school in the “100 Best Values in Private Colleges.”
One of the main components of the report requires an understanding of the word “value.”
In a recent New York Times article, titled “Lists That Rank Colleges’ Value Are on the Rise,” Ariel Kaminer wrote, “There is no agreement on how to measure the value of a college, and there is no agreement, or anything even close, on what value is in the first place.”
According to the Kiplinger ranking, value is defined as “academic quality and affordability.”
Assistant Vice President of Administration and Student Affairs James Fitzpatrick ‘70 expanded on these qualifications, saying: “I think everyone, in terms of administration, wishes they would go away because in many cases, this says nothing about what potentially Fairfield University could offer students, but the reality is that nowadays there are rankings that are out there.”
While Fairfield ranked 97 out of 100, the contrasting criteria present different perspectives on this specific rank. The criteria for determining value in this survey include: admission rate, student per faculty ratio, four-year graduation rate, total cost per year, average need-based aid, average non-need-based aid, percent of non-need-based aid and average debt at graduation.
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J., explained: “Some schools, like Yale and Harvard, do extremely well because they are the top of the top. At Fairfield, you don’t have to be the top one-half of one percent to get in, but four years later, people have really stepped up their game.”
While the report defines value as focusing on both quality and cost, five of the eight specified qualifications related to money.
“Dollars-and-cents tabulations … are the fastest-growing sector of the college rankings industry, with ever more analyses vying for the attention of high school students and their parents who are anxious about finances,” said Kaminer.
Questions were directed to Dean Karen Pellegrino as a representative of financial aid and admissions, but she was unavailable for comment.
Fitzgerald addressed financial aspects, saying, “Only about 15 percent of our students pay full price, while 85 percent of our students are receiving institutional financial aid.”
However, in an informal survey of 192 Fairfield students, 74 percent stated that they consider their enrollment at Fairfield a big financial sacrifice for their family, and 58 percent said that they are concerned about their student debt after leaving Fairfield.
Junior Alex Harrington commented on his financial outlook, saying: “I’m terrified of the debt that I face after college. Realistically, it’s going to take me well into my adulthood to pay my loans off. However, at this point, I don’t doubt my decision to take the debt on at all.”
While both Fitzgerald and Fitzpatrick admitted that, as a school with an income dependent on tuition, Fairfield needs more endowments. Fitzpatrick added, “Of the 15 Jesuits schools that were listed, we were third in terms of lowest student debt” at $28,507.
According to the survey, about half of Fairfield students check updates on the university’s rankings. However, a common theme, both among students and administration, is that Fairfield University is about much more than numbers. Eighty-nine percent of survey participants stated that they have evolved as a student throughout their time at Fairfield.
“Coming to Fairfield has exposed me to another world that I never thought was possible. Through the courses I’ve taken, the people I’ve met, and the various programs I’ve been involved in, I have become a well-rounded and globally aware person,” stated Emily Sawyer ’14.
“It’s safe to say that after finishing at Fairfield with my Master’s in English education, I will be more than ready to enter the workplace and the world.”
At a quick glance, being placed 97th may appear to be a low ranking; however, this score was determined out of thousands of colleges, Fitzgerald explained. He also said it would be beneficial to rank higher but that is not the main focus.
“You can make strategic choices as a university to increase your rankings, but you may have to go against your principles and your values to do that,” said Fitzgerald. “We’re trying to hold really true to our mission and to our identity, which is also to give first generation college students an opportunity.”
Fitzpatrick added: “I don’t think that day-in and day-out, we have the time to worry about these. I think they afford us a snapshot of what others may think of us using some generic classifications, but I don’t think they tell the whole story, and that’s what worries me.”
In the past few weeks alone, the Fairfield community has seen a range of rankings, including: “Best Values in Private Colleges” and “Best 295 Business Schools.” With all of these reports, Fairfield monitors the effects of the rankings, as well participation in such surveys.
“I think we should continue to participate in these types of surveys,” said Fitzgerald. “Students … would look at several different rankings and then look at the methodology of each of the rankings and see why we might be 97 on this list … then, you sort of have to mash them all together. But then you also come to visit … and you say ‘Yes, this is the right place for me.’”
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