A new formula used by The Economist for ranking U.S. colleges and universities based on future economic value has put Linfield College high on the list.
The Economist, an internationally recognized magazine and media outlet, ranked Linfield 27th nationally out of 1,275 colleges and universities, the highest ranked college in Washington and Oregon.
The Economist analyzed the median earnings data from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard which is estimated using 2011 tax filing data for students in the entering class of 2001 who applied for federal financial aid. The analysis only covered the first 10 years, and did not take into account future trajectory for earnings.
According to The Economist, their rankings were “based on a simple, if debatable, premise: the economic value of a university is equal to the gap between how much money its graduates earn, and how much they might have made had they studied elsewhere.” The Economist also notes there are many benefits of attending college unrelated to the income boost a college education provides.
See the full rankings, and read the The Economist article.
