Best 2010 Values in Public Education
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010The cost of higher education need not be exorbitant, according to Kiplinger’s magazine, which released its 2010 list of the American public colleges that offer the greatest bang for the buck.
Prices for a four-year college education have continued to rise over the past few years, but for parents who send their offspring to the University of North Carolina, The University Florida and other schools, are getting a relative bargain.
From an in-state perspective, the top five public college values according to Kiplinger are:
- The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- University of Florida
- University of Virginia
- William & Mary
- State University Of New York at Binghamton
Kiplinger’s rankings considered academic quality and weighed it against the cost of attendance, scholarships and other financial aid. Because the study focused on value, the methodology emphasized academic quality indicators — including admission rates, SAT and ACT scores, student-faculty ratios and graduation rates — which were given twice the weight of cost.
To affordability Kiplinger took into consideration the total cost of attendance, the total cost after scholarships and other financial aid, the average percentage of financial need met, and the average amount of student debt at graduation.
Kiplinger also published a separate list from an out-of-state perspective.
Other top-value institution include: New College of Florida, University of Georgia, State University of New York College at Geneseo, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, State University of New York at Binghamton, University of Washington.
View both Top 100 Lists on Kiplinger’s Web Site.
