The following is a release from the University of Washington Bothell:

Washington Monthly ranks the University of Washington Bothell No. 22 on its 2016 Best Bang for the Buck list of top 100 western region colleges. The list rates colleges based on their value-added or colleges that “help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.”

This year’s list is partially based on newly released data from the Obama administration’s “College Scorecard.” The data set focuses on student outcomes including graduation rates, the percentage of first-generation students enrolled, earnings 10 years after enrolling at a given college and whether students are paying down at least some of their loan principal. Washington Monthly also incorporated the percentage of enrolled Pell-eligible students into their methodology.

“The Best Bang for the Buck ranking reflects UW Bothell’s commitment to providing access to an excellent college education,” says Chancellor Wolf Yeigh. “When we level the playing field by providing opportunity, the benefits reach far beyond the student.”

About half of UW Bothell’s incoming first year students are first-generation college students. Of the total student population, more than a third are Pell-eligible and nearly two-thirds go on to graduate. UW Bothell’s retention and graduation rates are in the top 15 percent of similar public four-year universities in the nation. Half of all students graduate with no debt.

“Our students arrive on our campus and expect University of Washington excellence,” says Yeigh. “They get that and so much more. With our combined distinctive practices, outstanding faculty and growing number of relevant degrees, our graduates are prepared to lead, to collaborate, to take risks and create positive change in our region and across the world. Many have already completed undergraduate research and received real-world experience by doing work in their chosen industry.”

A year after leaving UW Bothell, bachelor’s degree graduates are earning more on average than graduates of any other public four-year institution in the state of Washington. With 90 percent of the University’s 18,000 alumni living and working in Washington, the return on investment for graduates and the region is significant.

All three UW campuses ranked in the top 40 on Washington Monthly’s overall “Best Bang for the Buck” list with UW Tacoma at No. 4 and UW Seattle at No. 36.