UR named one of Kiplinger's top 20 best values for 2018

December 29, 2017

Spider Pride

UR has a habit of climbing the national rankings, and the latest list from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance is no different. Out of the 100 best liberal arts college values  for 2018, we snagged the No. 18 spot. 

We have a tradition of providing opportunities for promising students from all backgrounds — in fact, it’s an ongoing priority. As a founding member of the American Talent Initiative, one of our favorite bragging rights is that we are need-blind in admission and we meet 100 percent of demonstrated need.

For the 2017-18 school year, we awarded $73 million in institutional grants and scholarships to 65 percent of our Spiders. Those are pretty powerful numbers, and rankings like this one help spread the message of Richmond’s value to potential Spiders who may not realize what we offer.

For example, our number of federal Pell Grant recipients — students with significant financial need — has been rising steadily for a decade because of our initiatives. This is one key measurement of an institution’s commitment to access and affordability. In short, we’re on par with Harvard, whose endowment is more than 16 times the size of ours.

“At Richmond, our commitment to being need-blind in admission and meeting the full financial need of all students has helped us to nearly double the number of Pell Grant-eligible students in our entering class over the past 10 years,” President Ronald A. Crutcher said when we announced our partnership in the ATI.

Together, all of these commitments ensure a Richmond education is accessible to the most talented students — period. That is something we can all be proud of! 

Learn more about UR's commitment to access and affordability