Cal State Long Beach has been ranked among the top 50 best value public colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review, which teamed up with USA Today to present its list of the 100 "Best Value Colleges for 2009."
The Princeton Review selected the 100 institutions-50 public and 50 private-as its "best value" choices for 2009 based on its surveys of administrators and students throughout the nation. The selection criteria covered more than 30 factors in three areas-academics, costs of attendance and financial aid.
"The Princeton Review's recognition of Cal State Long Beach as a great educational value for students is a fitting and appropriate honor," said CSULB President F. King Alexander. "We recognize that the ability to afford a university degree is a key issue in terms of access to higher education, and this campus has worked diligently to hold the line on costs to students wherever possible. We also understand the value of providing education excellence of the highest quality to our students who come to us from an amazing array of diverse socio-economic backgrounds."
CSULB was the only California State University campus making the list of the top 50 public colleges or universities and one of just four public California universities on the list. The other three were the University of California campuses at San Diego, Davis and Irvine.
"For students at Cal State Long Beach, a high-quality educational experience at an extremely affordable cost translates into what will prove to be the single most valuable investment in their lives," Alexander continued. "We're very pleased that The Princeton Review has demonstrated the importance of value in terms of academic strength, student service, financial aid, student input and overall cost to determine which campuses are doing excellent work. This is what distinguishes The Princeton Review's national ranking from many other university comparisons."
Moreover, CSULB was selected the fifth "most secure" university/college in the nation by Security Magazine in its annual "Security 500" rankings, released in the publication's November issue. Only 66 United States universities and colleges were recognized in the magazine's 2008 rankings. CSULB was the top-ranked California campus on the list.
"We have for many years had a strong reputation as a safe campus, and we are committed to this goal in order to provide the best possible educational environment for our students, faculty and staff," Alexander said.
