Tuition breaks the bank
Forbes: Kenyon second most expensive college in U.S.
Sarah Friedman
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: News
In late January, Forbes Online named Kenyon the second-most-expensive college in the United States, surpassed only by George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
"That list is meaningless," said President S. Georgia Nugent. According to Nugent, the Forbes list compares the tuitions of residential colleges, which does not include room and board. "The fact is once you include room and board we're actually not that expensive," she said.
"Our tuition is higher and our room and board is lower, but our comprehensive fee is nowhere near the second most expensive in the country," said Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jennifer Delahunty.
Forbes cited a $36,050 tuition for Kenyon's 2006-07 academic year. According to Delahunty, tuition for the 2008-09 academic year will be $40,240, and room and board will be $6,600, pending approval from the Board of Trustees.
This comprehensive cost of $46,840 does not place Kenyon among the nation's most-expensive colleges. By comparison, Sarah Lawrence College, Forbes' second most expensive college on its revised list, charges $38,090 for tuition and $12,720 for room and board-about $4,500 more than Kenyon's prediction for next year.
Why so expensive?
"The most expensive thing at Kenyon is people," said Delahunty. "The only way to really economize at Kenyon is to try to reduce labor costs, and to reduce labor costs is going to reduce quality of experience."
The College's second-largest cost, she said, is financial aid, which consumes about 23 percent of its budget.
Another reason Kenyon's tuition-though not its total cost-is one of the highest in the nation is that the College allocates costs differently than other colleges do when assessing tuition and room and board fees.
"We've been allocating costs with an older formula that we haven't looked at in a while," said Nugent. Costs that should be covered by the room and board fee are therefore currently allotted to tuition's coverage.
"That list is meaningless," said President S. Georgia Nugent. According to Nugent, the Forbes list compares the tuitions of residential colleges, which does not include room and board. "The fact is once you include room and board we're actually not that expensive," she said.
"Our tuition is higher and our room and board is lower, but our comprehensive fee is nowhere near the second most expensive in the country," said Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jennifer Delahunty.
Forbes cited a $36,050 tuition for Kenyon's 2006-07 academic year. According to Delahunty, tuition for the 2008-09 academic year will be $40,240, and room and board will be $6,600, pending approval from the Board of Trustees.
This comprehensive cost of $46,840 does not place Kenyon among the nation's most-expensive colleges. By comparison, Sarah Lawrence College, Forbes' second most expensive college on its revised list, charges $38,090 for tuition and $12,720 for room and board-about $4,500 more than Kenyon's prediction for next year.
Why so expensive?
"The most expensive thing at Kenyon is people," said Delahunty. "The only way to really economize at Kenyon is to try to reduce labor costs, and to reduce labor costs is going to reduce quality of experience."
The College's second-largest cost, she said, is financial aid, which consumes about 23 percent of its budget.
Another reason Kenyon's tuition-though not its total cost-is one of the highest in the nation is that the College allocates costs differently than other colleges do when assessing tuition and room and board fees.
"We've been allocating costs with an older formula that we haven't looked at in a while," said Nugent. Costs that should be covered by the room and board fee are therefore currently allotted to tuition's coverage.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
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posted 10/21/09 @ 7:04 AM EST
Great news I must say!
Sociology Thesis Help
posted 10/22/09 @ 7:28 AM EST
"Our tuition is higher and our room and board is lower, but our comprehensive fee is nowhere near the second most expensive in the country," totally agree!
Laslo Truth
posted 10/24/09 @ 12:07 AM EST
Those are apples and those are oranges. Jesus Christ!!! Kenyon is expensive and thatfolks is one of the reason it is so attractive to the mostly elitist population it serves. (Continued…)
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