Forbes Magazine: BYU-I ranks top 10

One Eastern Idaho university was recently recognized by Forbes Magazine.

BYU-Idaho made the magazine’s top ten list of most affordable colleges.

“The most bang for your buck is an understatement,” said Matthew Kolar, senior BYU-I student.

For Kolar, hearing his university ranked as number nine on Forbes Magazine’s list of top-quality undergraduate colleges where students get the most value for their dollar doesn’t come as a surprise. Kolar transferred from a university in Wyoming and said he hasn’t looked back.

“The caliber of education that you receive here and the academics are higher ranked than most people believe it to be,” said Kolar. “It’s one of the best educations I’ve received and a lot of people just don’t know about it.”

The rankings are based on five general categories: postgraduate success, student satisfaction, debt, four-year graduation rates and competitive awards. School officials said affordability and value are two of their top priorities.

“We want to be able to serve many students at high-quality, low-cost and so that’s exactly the goal for which Forbes has recognized us,” said Henry Eyering, BYU-I Vice President.

School officials said the average BYU-Idaho student pays around $3,500 in tuition per semester. One of the cheapest in the state.

The university says combining low tuition with quality education is a recipe for success that nearly 20,000 students take advantage of.

“I haven’t had to worry too much about money. It’s better to focus more on school and not money, I think,” said Jordan Hess, a sophomore.

“Yeah it is. I think it’s a great deal to come to school here for what you’re getting,” said Michael Carr, a senior.

The top three schools on Forbes Magazine’s list are the U.S. Military, Air Force and Naval academies.