NDSU rated

[tony]

This doesn't mean much but Cal Poly and NDSU were among the top 5 "Best Values for
Public Colleges and Universities" named by Consumer Digest.

I have a link but it's not the best as soon as a better one comes along I'll post it.

Personally, I can't see how a list like that could have NDSU without having UND on it too. The two schools are nearly identical by any general measurement - except that UND's faculty-to-student ratio was always better. I've always thought this was because UND gets 40-50% more money from the state per student (so it costs the state 40% more when a kid chooses UND over NDSU for getting a degree in business administration or something), so you'd think they'd be 40% better in all areas.

[JBB]

I didnt do any current research but several yrs ago when we were looking for schools und was the highest tuition in the NCC. Maybe thats why they didnt make it?

[IowaBison]

and i think i can boldly make the claim that NDSU's school of business is better than the one to the north and definitely getting better

[tony]

The problem with anybody rating thousands of postsecondary institutions is that their ratings are achieved through plugging general information into a formula - not through analysis of individual programs.

[BisonFan]

Don't forget the fact UND is in a city by the name of Grand Forks....Fargo is a more attractive place to live

[tony]

Well, my intention wasn't to smack UND but to point out that NDSU got some nice, if not particularly meaningful recognition.

NDSU and UND have very similar student bodies, are similar sizes, and all that. In some ways, the two universities are worlds apart but I don't think it would be anything that a US News or Consumer Digest analysis would measure.

[tony]

I finally got around to looking for a good link:

Top 50 Best Public College Values (http://www.consumersdigest.com/colleges.htm)

The release I orginally saw was a correction and only listed the top 5. The original press release didn't have NDSU on it which might explain why it never made the local news.

Anyway three of the Great Western Football Conference schools made the top 10. UND was rated #13 and the only NCC school to make the top 50. I guess we should enjoy it while we can because after this year's tuition jump, NDSU might drop down to #9 or something. Still not bad considering they looked at 3500(!!!) schools.

[Tatanka]

One would hope that the braintrust in the state government would have this read to them (I figure many are UND grads). Maybe then they can fix the appropriation to something, well, more equitable.