Washington Monthly magazine says Western Michigan University is among U-S universities that give students the "Best Bang for the Buck". The magazine put WMU in 46th place this year. The rankings are made based on the monthly's estimate of a school's contribution to the "public good" and the value students get compared to the money they pay. The University of Michigan, Michigan State, and Michigan Tech also made this year's list.
Western also gets high marks from the blog PolicyMic. It says the university has already met many of the criteria mentioned by President Obama for changes in federal funding of higher education. The blog ranks WMU fifth among the 12 schools nationwide it says offer students the best deal. It says, "Western Michigan University is performing better than average in terms of cost, graduation rate, starting salary after graduation, and equals the national average percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell grants. Debt upon graduation is higher than the national average, possibly a result of Michigan’s recent economic troubles."