UCR: School named tuition trap

In its analysis of  more than 1,000 colleges and universities, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni picked out UCR as one of seven public universities it labels as “tuition traps.”

The organization grades universities on what it considers educational breadth, graduation rates and tuition, including out-of-state tuition.

UCR made the list with an overall D grade by the organization. Only one UC campus, Revelle College at UCSD, scored a B on the council’s website, whatwilltheylearn.com. Santa Barbara and Merced had C grades. The rest of the UCs earned Ds and Fs. Both Berkeley and Davis received failing grades.

UCR’s four-year graduation rate of 42 percent was second lowest to Merced’s 30 percent.

The council’s rating implied that UCR is failing to adequately prepare students and, at the same time, saddling them with unreasonable debt.

UCR spokeswoman Kris Lovekin called the ranking an “aberration.”

In a written statement, Lovekin said, “The ranking does not have credibility with UCR or the higher education community generally. It originates from a advocacy organization with a particular political slant.”

Lovekin pointed to high rankings the school has received from other organizations, such as the New America Foundation, which dubbed the campus a top “next generation university.”

She said 85 percent of students receive financial aid and that one-third graduate with no debt, citing a study by the Project on Student Debt.