Drake University has been named to the Kiplinger's Personal Finance list of 100 best values in private colleges for 2012-13, and is the only private university in Iowa on the list. Drake came in at No. 27, jumping 37 spots from its ranking of 64 last year. The ranking cites four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value.

"It's clear that we offer a great value when our undergraduate retention rate places us in the top 10 percent of all four-year institutions," says Tom Delahunt, vice president for admission and student financial planning. "Kiplinger's ranking reaffirms and validates what we tell students-Drake is committed to offering a high-quality and affordable education."

Approximately 98 percent of Drake students receive some type of financial aid; in fact, the University awards more than $47 million in financial assistance each year.

Kiplinger's determines the rankings using a variety of criteria: cost, financial aid, competitiveness, academic support, graduation rates, and student indebtedness. Full rankings were released today online  and will appear in the December issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine.