Last year, Money Magazine ranked BYU as the 15th best university in the United States. Such a high ranking was a source of pride for the LDS-owned school, which subsidizes its tuition with tithing funds. Money's rankings are based on educational quality, affordability, and alumni success.
But that was last year. This year, BYU jumped an entire 10 spots on the list, holding a tie for 5th place with the University of California-Berkely. Only Rice, Harvard, Michigan, and Princeton outranked the Cougars.
With its subsidized tuition, BYU was easily the cheapest school near the top of the list. Its estimated yearlong aid-free price of $18,500 is nearly $40,000 cheaper than Princeton, Harvard, Amherst, and Stanford. BYU also offers generous merit-based aid, while many of the country's elite schools do not.
To see a more detailed analysis, the full rankings can be found here.
