Financial aid — such as scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study programs — can help students attain the education they both desire and deserve. At Fairfield, the availability of financial aid packages has earned the University the No. 1 spot in the state on LendEDU’s report of the Best Colleges for Financial Aid. 

On a national level, Fairfield fared in the top 20% of best colleges for financial aid, placing No. 154 out of the total 829 colleges and universities included in the report. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics and Peterson's Financial Aid Dataset, each school was assigned a total score that included need-based financial aid (60%), non-need-based financial aid (34%), and international students financial aid (6%). Schools were excluded from the study if no information was present for the considered data points.

In a comparison of Connecticut colleges and universities on the list, Fairfield earned the top spot thanks to its offering of need-based financial aid. 

Launched in 2014, LendEDU is an online destination for consumers to learn and compare financial products, including student loans. The goal of their Best Colleges for Financial Aid report is to help future college students better understand which colleges may be affordable for them, by taking into account more than just the cost of attendance.  

For more information on Fairfield rankings, visit fairfield.edu/rankings.