Kenyon has been recognized in a pair of prestigious college rankings, including earning the highest possible rating for financial aid from The Princeton Review.
Washington Monthly honored the College as well in its annual rankings focused on an institution’s contribution to the public good.
As part of the Princeton Review’s “392 Best Colleges: 2027 Edition,” the College ranked No. 9 among the “Top 20 Best Schools for Financial Aid (Private Schools).” The rating measures how much financial aid a school awards and student satisfaction with their award; each school on the list received a perfect score of 99.
President Julie Kornfeld said the distinction is a result of a commitment to make the College accessible and affordable.
“Ensuring that every talented student who would thrive here is able to attend regardless of their finances is one of our core values,” she said. “Thanks to the commitment of our Board of Trustees and the generous support of alumni and others who share this priority, we have been able to increase our aid to students dramatically over the past seven years.“
In the current operating budget, $68.5 million — or 35% — is dedicated to financial aid, the fastest-growing item in the College’s budget. This is made possible by gifts to Kenyon's annual funds, including the Kenyon Fund and Kenyon Parents Fund, and hundreds of endowed scholarships.
Kenyon is among a select set of colleges and universities that meet 100% of students’ demonstrated need. Last year, the average net price for incoming students was $45,000 — cutting the sticker price by almost half. It is even lower for students with greater need.
This cost is all-inclusive, meaning that there is only one rate and it includes housing, unlimited dining, free laundry, and no extra fees for labs, fieldwork or course-related travel. Overall, 85% of students received some form of financial aid last year, and fewer Kenyon students take out loans than the average across all private nonprofit colleges — and for smaller amounts on average.
Washington Monthly acknowledged the College’s value in a different way. Kenyon ranked No. 14 on its list of “Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars: Midwest.”
The list, which Washington Monthly has published since 2005, ranks schools based on their contribution to the public good in four categories: access, affordability, outcomes and promoting public service.
As part of the list, Kenyon ranked No. 3 in the category of public service. The College has been named a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers for two years running and a top producer for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program 19 times in the past 21 years.