Governors State University ranks as top school for ‘Best Bang for the Buck’
Governors State University (GovState), Chicago Southland’s only regional comprehensive public university, was recently cited by Washington Monthly as the top school in the Midwest that delivers the “Best Bang for the Buck, “providing highly marketable degrees at prices that don’t leave graduates with overwhelming debt.”
Considering social mobility, research and public service opportunities, Washington Monthly each year evaluates four-year schools that serve non-wealthy families. It ranks schools in five U.S. regions. In the nation's central region, Governors State University tops the list of 200 plus schools on its 2024 annual Best Bang for the Buck list.
“In the Midwest, Governors State University, Trine University, and the College of the Ozarks are some of the broad-access institutions that keep prices in check while generating strong outcomes,’’ the announcement said.
Rankings are based on metrics that include an eight-year-graduation rate and family contribution to the degree earned. Another factor in the ranking is social mobility, the measure that compares graduation rates for students who receive Pell grants with the graduation rate of those who do not.
Last year, Washington Monthly ranked GovState second for Best Bang, and in 2021, U.S. News and World Report ranked GovState in the top 25 Midwest schools for boosting social mobility, a point of pride for the University.
President Cheryl Green said the Washington Monthly distinction further sets Governors State apart as an excellent institution that lives out its mission to provide an accessible and exceptional education.
“Governors State University is proud to provide education to students who, in turn, return to their communities as nurses, teachers, policy makers and in other important roles to move the region forward and to make a global impact. This honor from Washington Monthly confirms what we’ve always known and that is the power of education to change lives.”
Washington Monthly is a nonprofit devoted to ahead-of-the-curve coverage of politics, government, and public affairs with more than 1 million online readers.