My sister Jen teaches Biology at Brooklyn College, ranked tops in “best bang for your buck” among American universities. I am very proud of her and her colleagues.

The top three “Best Bang for the Buck” colleges in the nation are colleges of  The City University of New York,  according to the Washington Monthly magazine.

The magazine’s 2014 survey ranked Brooklyn College number one in the nation. Queens College and Baruch College placed second and third place nationally, matching their  performance in the 2013 survey.

“The CUNY schools are legendary for having educated wave after wave of first-generation students, many from immigrant backgrounds, from Jonas Salk to Jennifer Lopez. “These three colleges continue that tradition,” Washington Monthly reported wrote in its September issue. “They are a great value for students who can gain admission.”

CUNY Chancellor James B. Milliken said, “ It comes as no surprise that CUNY colleges are nationally recognized as offering tremendous value.  With a world-class faculty, low tuition, new facilities, and a well-earned reputation with employers, graduate and professional schools, CUNY students and their families are well-aware of the extraordinary opportunity they enjoy.”

Nearly six out of 10 full-time undergraduate students attend tuition-free, thanks to federal and state aid that fully cover CUNY’s exceptionally low tuition. And, while students and their families nationally are struggling with more than $1 trillion in student loans, 80 percent of CUNY’s graduates who move into the workforce leave debt-free.