Hastings College

Tenth Edition (2008)

“Our strong core curriculum is responsible for breeding respect for academic studies beyond one’s major, for extracurricular activities beyond one’s talents, and for people whose backgrounds are different from one’s own.”

- Hastings College English major, quoted in Barron’s Best Buys in College Education

Hastings College is among only three Nebraska schools and 231 colleges and universities nationwide named a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s in the tenth edition of its respected college guide. Barron’s recognizes Hastings for its academic rigor, dedicated faculty members, involved students and competitive cost. Each of the selected schools is profiled in the guide, which includes detailed information about academic programs, campus life and financial aid.

“Barron’s Best Buys in College Education is a guide to 231 myth-breakers, schools that breach the supposed link between college price and college quality. Although some of them are better known than others, all deserve recognition where it counts: in the performance of their faculties, the depth and comprehensiveness of their curricula, the preparation of their students for lives after graduation, and the prices they charge for their services,” writes Lucia Solórzano in the introduction to the book.

Student responses to questionnaires weigh heavily in Barron’s final decision on whether or not to include a particular college or university.  The guide book describes Hastings College’s faculty as “dedicated and demanding,” quoting a student as saying, “Teachers press you to take control of your own education. They will not allow you to submit sub-par work and consistently push you to be better.” A junior observes, “The faculty perform so well because they are progressive active learners themselves.”

Barron’s credits Hastings College for its high academic standards and describes students as friendly, involved, and hard-working. “This college really expects a lot from you,” notes a junior. “Trust me – you’ll learn the true meaning of study once you arrive.” The guidebook mentions several of the college’s special programs, including the Lilly Endowment-funded Vocation and Values Program, study-abroad opportunities, campus media, and 3-2 engineering and occupational therapy partnerships with leading universities.

The college profile also notes that many students are pleased with the financial aid available, quoting an out-of-state student as saying, “Because financial aid was so strong, I was able to bring down the cost of Hastings to what in-state tuition would have been for me at my state school.”

Barron’s Best Buys in College Education, available in bookstores, is published by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.

Barron’s Best Buys in College Education (Tenth Edition), by Lucia Solórzano, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, N.Y., 2008.