With rising administrative costs among the leading causes of tuition increases nationwide, colleges have as much incentive as ever to operate efficiently. Some universities are worthy of distinction, since they have controlled their spending while still keeping students enrolled through graduation, maintaining a high academic reputation for excellence and fostering an engaged alumni network.
By those standards, in an exclusive U.S. News analysis comparing per-student expenditures and educational quality, Ohio’s Miami University–Oxford is the most efficient school among National Universities, and Minnesota’s College of St. Benedict is most efficient among National Liberal Arts Colleges.
The lists below are based on operating efficiency, which U.S. News has defined as a school’s per-student spending on education-focused activities divided by its overall 0-100 score — the basis U.S. News uses to determine schools’ numerical ranks in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings. Schools on these lists achieved high ranks relative to the amount of money they spent.
Only schools ranked in the top half of the 2018 Best Colleges rankings were included in this analysis.
The financial resources indicator has a 10 percent weight in the Best Colleges ranking methodology. U.S. News measures financial resources by calculating how much a school spends per student on instruction, public service, research, student services, institutional support and academic support. Unrelated spending on amenities like dorms and cafeterias do not count.
U.S. News factors the per-student financial resources calculation into schools’ overall ranks because well-resourced schools can generally do more in terms of programs, course offerings and student services than poorly resourced schools to support their students.
But total spending does not measure the extent to which schools are spending wisely to create a top-quality education. This analysis is a rough attempt to measure it.
The tables below show the 25 schools in the National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges categories that scored the highest on operating efficiency.
National Universities
| School (state) | U.S. News National Universities rank | Overall score | Financial resources rank | Spending per student for each point in the U.S. News overall score |
| Miami University–Oxford (OH) | 78 (tie) | 55 | 226 | $362 |
| Florida State University | 81 (tie) | 54 | 211 | $390.18 |
| Brigham Young University–Provo (UT) | 61 (tie) | 174 | 174 | $411.92 |
| San Diego State University | 140 (tie) | 42 | 250 | $413.62 |
| Binghamton University–SUNY | 87 (tie) | 53 | 190 | $436.49 |
| University of Alabama | 110 (tie) | 48 | 211 | $443.19 |
| College of William and Mary (VA) | 32 (tie) | 70 | 111 | $466.87 |
| Clark University (MA) | 81 (tie) | 54 | 163 | $481.80 |
| University of Georgia | 54 (tie) | 62 | 121 | $484.40 |
| Arizona State University–Tempe | 115 (tie) | 47 | 197 | $489.01 |
| Texas Christian University | 78 (tie) | 55 | 158 | $489.16 |
| Indiana University–Bloomington | 90 (tie) | 52 | 163 | $493.10 |
| University of Texas–Dallas | 145 (tie) | 41 | 217 | $494.94 |
| DePaul University (IL) | 120 (tie) | 46 | 197 | $497.35 |
| Clemson University (SC) | 67 | 59 | 129 | $501.72 |
| University of South Carolina | 103 (tie) | 49 | 179 | $501.77 |
| Auburn University (AL) | 103 (tie) | 49 | 174 | $517.16 |
| George Mason University (VA) | 140 (tie) | 42 | 202 | $522.68 |
| Villanova University (PA) | 46 (tie) | 64 | 103 | $524.05 |
| St. John Fisher College (NY) | 145 (tie) | 41 | 202 | $528.42 |
| Virginia Tech | 69 (tie) | 57 | 114 | $546.37 |
| Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) | 69 (tie) | 57 | 114 | $552.13 |
| University of Missouri | 120 (tie) | 46 | 163 | $556.18 |
| University of Oregon | 103 (tie) | 49 | 147 | $561.80 |
| Duquesne University (PA) | 120 (tie) | 46 | 163 | $565.05 |
National Liberal Arts Colleges
| School (state) | U.S. News National Liberal Arts Colleges rank | Overall score | Financial resources rank | Spending per student for each point in the U.S. News overall score |
| College of St. Benedict (MN) | 87 (tie) | 58 | 155 | $450.58 |
| Hope College (MI) | 106 (tie) | 54 | 185 | $451.63 |
| Augustana College (IL) | 101 (tie) | 55 | 162 | $457.83 |
| Rhodes College (TN) | 51 (tie) | 70 | 95 | $462.72 |
| Virginia Military Institute | 65 (tie) | 64 | 113 | $477.67 |
| Luther College (IA) | 87 (tie) | 58 | 141 | $478.52 |
| Knox College (IL) | 71 (tie) | 62 | 119 | $482.61 |
| Thomas Aquinas College (CA) | 58 (tie) | 67 | 95 | $484.01 |
| St. Olaf College (MN) | 57 | 68 | 89 | $490.18 |
| Southwestern University (TX) | 96 (tie) | 56 | 141 | $495.93 |
| Cornell College (IA) | 87 (tie) | 58 | 126 | $503.72 |
| Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) | 85 (tie) | 59 | 113 | $513.72 |
| Kalamazoo College (MI) | 76 (tie) | 61 | 105 | $517.41 |
| Wofford College (SC) | 71 (tie) | 62 | 105 | $519.72 |
| Austin College (TX) | 93 (tie) | 57 | 119 | $520.68 |
| Centre College (KY) | 46 (tie) | 71 | 78 | $521.84 |
| Muhlenberg College (PA) | 71 (tie) | 62 | 95 | $524 |
| Lake Forest College (IL) | 101 (tie) | 55 | 126 | $524.31 |
| Hanover College (IN) | 112 (tie) | 52 | 141 | $525.51 |
| Lewis & Clark College (OR) | 76 (tie) | 61 | 105 | $528.48 |
| Beloit College (WI) | 76 (tie) | 61 | 95 | $529.15 |
| Hendrix College (AR) | 76 (tie) | 61 | 95 | $531.06 |
| St. Mary’s College (IN) | 101 (tie) | 55 | 119 | $533.48 |
| Juniata College (PA) | 106 (tie) | 54 | 126 | $534.15 |
| St. Michael’s College (VT) | 106 (tie) | 54 | 126 | $534.68 |
More from U.S. News
10 Colleges Where Early Applicants Have an Edge
Top Colleges, Universities for Internship, Co-Op Programs
10 Colleges Where Early Applicants Have an Edge
Learn Which Top-Ranked Colleges Operate Most Efficiently originally appeared on usnews.com
