Washington Monthly‘s “The Other College Guide” is chock full of great advice:
“Other books cater mostly to students from well-to-do families trying to get into the most exclusive, priciest schools. The Other College Guide is for every student …
“Other books … rank schools based on how many students they turn away, or how much money they raise and spend, or how other college presidents rate them. But these metrics … are mostly measures if inputs, not outcomes. So The Other College Guide ignores such criteria and instead ranks colleges based on the best available data about what really matters (or should matter) to you …
“Other books are full of happy talk about how wonderful America’s higher education system is and how every college has something to offer. Baloney! There are a lot of terrible colleges out there …
“Other books only profile the most prestigious colleges or the ‘Best Party Schools.'”
Best-Bang-For-The-Buck in the Western US: #1, out of 233 schools ranked: The University of Washington. (UW-Bothell is #13. UW-Tacoma is #22. Evergreen is #29. Western is #30. Eastern is #37. Central is #44. WSU is #68.)
50 Schools You Should Know About: #1 in the West, out of 10 schools listed: The University of Washington. (UW-Bothell is #5. Evergreen is #8. Western is #9.)
Troubled Waters: The Community College Transfer Swamp: “If you intend to earn a four-year degree and you’re starting at a two-year college, the truth is that you’re in for a challenge. Three-fourths of students who start at a community college with the intention of earning a degree or transferring to a four-year institution end up doing neither after six years.”
Best Community Colleges: Washington colleges listed, among 50 nationwide, are Grays Harbor College (#15), Cascadia Community College (#22), Green River Community College (#44), Tacoma Community College (#46), and Highline Community College (#47). Congratulations to these five Washington community and technical colleges for doing well at the things that matter!
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