LendEdu, a website that helps consumers learn about and compare financial products, including student loans, recently released its Best Colleges for Financial Aid rankings, where it ranks Coker University in its top 50 out of more than 800 colleges and universities in the United States.
To help prospective students find colleges and universities where they are likely to receive considerable financial aid packages, LendEdu analyzed 829 four-year institutions throughout the United States to find which are the best for financial aid. These ratings are based on need-based financial aid (60% weight), non-need-based financial aid (34% weight), and financial aid offered to international students (6% weight). LendEdu placed emphasis on need-based financial aid as these students require the most help in paying for college.
Coker University ranked 44th out of 829 four-year institutions across the country with an overall score of 86.37 out of 100, and third in the state of South Carolina. Coker prides itself on its affordability and accessibility, and awards more than $14 million in institutional scholarship aid every year. Last month, Coker announced its Coker Within Reach initiative guaranteeing at least half off tuition for residents from Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Kershaw, Lee, and Marlboro counties with at least a 3.0 GPA applying accepted as a first-time, full-time freshman residential or commuter student for fall 2020.
According to LendEdu, “When choosing a college, it’s important to consider the financial aid package you are offered instead of just the overall cost of attendance.”
“Being recognized as a viable financial option is a significant achievement,” says Coker University Executive Vice President Dr. Tracy Parkinson. “As a private four-year institution, there is often an assumption that we’re out of reach financially when, in fact, the opposite is true. If students take the necessary steps to apply for financial aid, they’ll find a Coker University education is well within reach.”
Data used in LendEdu’s Best Colleges for Financial Aid study came from Peterson’s Undergraduate Financial Aid Database and the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). All data reflects the 2017-18 school year, which is the most recent data available from Peterson’s. Both Peterson’s data and IPEDS’ data comes from surveys administered to colleges and universities.
For more information about Coker University, please visit coker.edu. To apply, please visit coker.edu/apply.
