John Jay College has been ranked fourth in the “Best Bang for the Buck” rankings in the Northeast region by Washington Monthly magazine’s 2015 College Guide – an annual issue that rates institutions based on social mobility, research and civic engagement.

According to Washington Monthly, the rankings show students which schools are “the best value for your money based on ‘net’" (not sticker) price, how well they do graduating the students they admit, and whether those students go on to earn at least enough to pay off their loans.”

“For John Jay, this is a watershed moment,” said President Jeremy Travis. “This is the first time we are ranked in the top five in this listing. Our rising to the first tier is a tribute to our hard work over the past several years to improve the quality of our undergraduate programs, strengthen academic advisement and student services, and build a strong sense of engagement.” 

Earlier this year, John Jay was ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the Top 10 Colleges whose graduates have the least student debt. Only 20 percent of John Jay students borrowed money to attend college.

John Jay’s graduate programs were rated among the best by graduateprograms.com, based on academic competitiveness, career support, financial aid and quality of network. The M.P.A. programs were among the top five, and the criminal justice graduate program was rated in the top 15.

John Jay was also ranked number-one overall best-value college for a criminal justice degree in the U.S. by bestvalueschools.com. The rating included the explanation that  an “affordable criminal justice degree from [John Jay College] is a great way to build the expertise and specialization you’ll need to spark a successful career in criminal justice.” The College was also listed among the top 50 of “America’s Best Urban Colleges” by bestcolleges.com.

On Oct. 16, CollegeNet issued a new ranking system that rates colleges based on promoting economic mobility for students, and John Jay made the list at #61. The list of top 100 schools compiled by College Net reflects how well institutions educate those whose families make less than the national median income of $48,000. No Ivy League schools made the list, while seven CUNY senior colleges did.

Closer to home, students have once again ranked John Jay at the top of all CUNY colleges for satisfaction with student services, including career planning, health and child care services, and support for international students, veterans and students with disabilities.