USA Today lists Liberty among nation’s most affordable universities

In a recent article published by USA Today, Liberty University’s undergraduate online program is recognized as one of the most affordable in the country based on research provided by The Best Colleges and OnlineU.

While offering online tuition rates far lower than its for-profit competitors, Liberty has also managed to keep its residential tuition among the lowest 25 percent of all private universities in America.

With Liberty’s campus in the midst of a $500 million rebuilding, its residential enrollment has grown dramatically, and Liberty now ranks as the nation’s seventh-largest university, the largest in Virginia, and the largest Christian university in the world.

“Liberty University Online would not be the nation’s largest nonprofit online university today if it were not anchored by a major residential Christian university with decades of history and solid academic performance standing behind it,” Liberty President Jerry Falwell said in a recent Convocation. “Online students love the fact that they are studying at a Christian university that has operated on this campus for decades. They enjoy supporting our athletic teams and traveling to Lynchburg for intensives and for graduation.”

Approximately 90 percent of Liberty’s online and residential students received financial aid in the 2012-13 school year. Liberty also offers discounts for active military and emergency response personnel.

Liberty’s student loan default rate is about half the national average, a reflection of its affordability and an indication that its graduates are getting jobs quickly. The university is rated by Standard and Poor’s as one of the 78 strongest schools in the nation financially with more than $1 billion in net assets.