The University fell drastically in the Kiplinger’s Personal Finance 100 Best Public College Values in America poll.
Kiplinger’s released the study in its February issue, ranking the University No. 91 out of 100 schools. North Carolina, Florida and Virginia universities took the top three spots.
Kiplinger’s noted that the University’s four-year graduation rate is among the lowest in the nation at 23 percent. Among the highest are its student-faculty ratio, 22-to-1, and its average $18,352 debt load for graduates.
The study evaluated 500 schools but ranked only the top 100.
LSU was ranked No. 38 in the 2003 poll but did not rank in 2000.
University officials are not taking the poll seriously.
Provost Risa Palm said the rankings are based on “arbitrary criteria.”
“Of course the magazines like to see variation so that they can sell this year’s issue, even though the institutions change very little from year to year,” she said.
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Frank Cartledge said the ratings are inconsistent for all the schools studied.
“It’s difficult to judge why that might be true because Kiplinger doesn’t publish any details about their rankings,” he said. Cartledge said aid that comes to students through TOPS is provided from the state and, therefore, is not counted as university-based student aid.
“Although I haven’t confirmed this, I believe the debt load listed for LSU students is greatly overstated for that reason,” he said.
Administrators agreed that following the Flagship Agenda would better all future University rankings.
“If our capital campaign is successful, we should also be able to reduce the debt load by providing even more financial aid for undergraduate and graduate students,” Palm said.
Cartledge said the University is making “intensive efforts” to improve rankings by doing things such as raising the ACT scores requirements for entering students.
“Tune in again in a few years, and I think you will see significant changes,” he said.
 
Contact Marissa DeCuir at [email protected]