50-50 Highlights: Largest Universities and Their Advantages

crowd representing large universities

Students at a large universityI remember as a sophomore sitting in an American Literature class when the professor starting talking about the advantages of attending a large university such as the University of Texas (hook ’em) versus going to a smaller institution such as Rice. I don’t know what brought on the lecture but he was adamant that we were receiving just as good of an education as those going to Rice. Furthermore, unlike the students at Rice, we would never run out of classes to take.

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11 Ways to Expand Your College Education Through Off-Campus Study and Exchanges

college student waving goodbye representing Ways to Expand Your College Education Through Off-Campus Study and Exchanges

Student waving goodbye representing ways to expand your education with off campus studyMost college students know that they can study abroad but fewer realize that there are opportunities for off-campus study without ever leaving the country. Why would you want to do that? Because such exchange programs allow you to explore academic subjects not normally available on your campus or to immerse yourself in one area for a semester. Off-campus study programs can help you establish contacts in distant cities for internships or job opportunities. They can provide you the chance to try something different without having to commit to four years at one campus.

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What Happens to Students Once They Get on Campus-The National Survey of Student Engagement

Student sleeping on desk representing best colleges base on NSSE experience

student sleeping on desk representing NSSE resultsIt’s hard for anyone looking for the best college not to have heard about the US News College Rankings. It’s very easy for students to go through the college application process without ever hearing about the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) which is a shame but not surprising. After all, it doesn’t have “rankings” in its title and isn’t going to crown the best college or university in the nation.

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50-50 Highlights: College Awarding Most Financial Aid by State

tables listing college offering most financial aid in each state

file folder titled "grants" representing colleges providing the most financial aid by stateIf you knew that the average amount of financial aid a college awarded freshmen was $25,000, would you consider it? With the cost of four years of college ranging from $100,000 to over a quarter of a million dollars, why wouldn’t you? I’m not saying you have to apply to the college, I’m just saying give it a look over because chances are it’s one that wasn’t on your radar. The table below lists all 50-50 colleges that provide the most institutional aid in each state according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Since it is limited to 50-50 colleges, there are only 36 private colleges and 46 public institutions on the list.

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College Search Cheat Sheet

Two highlighters (green and yellow) lying on a printed college search cheat sheet with various color-coded data points and a red pen atop the paper.

listing showing college search cheat sheetAre you worried about finding the right college for your kids? Does the idea of researching colleges make you nervous? Do you find the idea of finding and paying for college daunting? Do you just want to know how to get started? If you answered “yes” to any to the previous questions, I’ve got a college search cheat sheet for you.

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50-50 Highlights: Colleges in Philadelphia

Philadelphia skyline representing colleges in philadelphia

Philadelphia skyline representing colleges in PhiladelphiaWhen creating their preferred list of colleges, many students are looking for schools that will include the “big city” experience. New York is the obvious choice. However, students shouldn’t overlook the nation’s 7th largest city, Philadelphia, just a 90 minute train ride to the south. Surely it can provide the requested “big city” experience at one of its 35 area colleges and universities. Furthermore, 16 colleges in Philadelphia have at least a 50% graduation rate while accepting at least 50% of applicants qualifying them as 50-50 schools.

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50-50 Highlights: Colleges in Los Angeles

Los Angeles skyline representing colleges in Los AngelesI’m pretty sure the number of students who would want to attend college close to beaches and mountains and with sunny weather outnumbers those that don’t which is why many look for colleges in Los Angeles. With the area’s entertainment industry, international business connections, and tech development, Los Angeles has more than just its climate and geography to appeal to students. Maybe that’s why there are 49 colleges in the greater Los Angeles area (Combined Statistical Area) with 14 of them accepting at least 50% of students while having at least a 50% graduation rate qualifying them as 50-50 schools.

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50-50 Highlights: Phi Beta Kappa Colleges for Academic Challenge

graduation hat with tassel represeting college for academic challenge

graduation cap with Phi Beta Kappa honors tasselOne reason many people give for attending a prestigious or ranked college or university is the need to be among intellectual peers. Parents and students worry that students won’t be challenged enough at less-well known or lower ranked schools. This is often accompanied by the networking argument–it’s the class peers along with faculty that will be crucial in developing future opportunities.

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50-50 Highlights: Most Expensive Colleges for Out-of-State Students and the Cheapest

toy car on money representing expensive out of state tuition

car driving on money representing expensive out of state tuitionOf the 464 colleges and universities on the 50-50 list, 179 of them are public institutions. Furthermore, 50-50 schools are not distributed equally among all of the states. That means that if you want to start your search with the largest number of schools possible, you don’t want to immediately eliminate out-of-state public institutions.

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