Catawba College News Service

SALISBURY — Catawba College continues to be one of only four N.C. institutions to be named among the top 100 colleges and universities nationwide on Forbes’ “Grateful Grads Index.”

In its 2017 index, Forbes says a Catawba College education is well worth its cost and that the proof is in the institution’s alumni giving.

The online index ranks the best long-term value, or return on investment, of the top 200 private, not-for-profit colleges enrolling more than 1,000 students.

Catawba ranked 87th on the list, along with other N.C. institutions such as Davidson College at 7th, Duke University at 9th and Wake Forest University at 46th. Queen’s University was 120nd, Salem College was 148th and Elon University was at 198th in the 2017 Index.

To determine which colleges provide the best return on investment, Forbes said its index is “a simple alternative measure for college ROI.” It analyzes two important variables: median private donations and gifts per student over 10 years, as reported to the Department of Education; and the alumni participation rate, or the percentage of graduates that give back in the form of donations to their colleges each year – regardless of the dollar amount.

According to Forbes’ staff writer Matt Schifrin, “a return on a college education is more than just a four-year vocational exercise. Great colleges produce happy and successful alumni — who give back in droves.”

Forbes’ 2017 Grateful Grads Index is available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/schifrin/2017/08/02/2017-grateful-grads-index-top-200-best-loved-colleges/#3b9ceea0128e.