Princeton Review releases ‘Best Value’ college list
February 17, 2012
While going to college is an investment in your future, many people worry about the rising cost of getting an education.
According to the College Board, the average tuition for the 2011-2012 school year at a four-year, public college or university is $8,244 for in-state residents and $12,526 for those who live out-of-state. At private, four-year colleges and universities, the average tuition is higher - $28,500.
However, these costs do not include additional expenses such as room and board, supplies, transportation and others.
The cost is worrisome to many. A recent survey of 12,000 individuals found that 86 percent are conscious of the rising costs and say that financial aid would be 'very necessary' for them to pay for college.
Whether you've saved for years to afford college tuition, plan to depend on financial aid such as grants for parents, scholarships for mothers or single mother scholarships or will take out loans to finance your education, you may be interested in finding schools that experts say offer students the biggest bang for their education buck.
The Princeton Review's annual list of "Best Value" colleges identifies America's top undergraduate schools offering excellent academics, generous financial aid and/or relatively low cost of attendance.
The list includes 75 public and 75 private colleges.
Those who are considering a public college or university should know that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill topped the list of best values this year. Others in the top ten include University of Virginia, New College of Florida, State University of New York at Binghamton, University of Wisconsin, College of William and Mary, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Washington and University of Texas at Austin.
Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, tops the list of best value private schools. Others in the top ten include Swarthmore College, Princeton University, Harvard College, Rice University, Pomona College, Washington University, Yale University, California Institute of Technology and Hamilton College.
"We recommend these extraordinary colleges as our 'best buys' for 2012 and salute them for all they are doing to keep costs down and / or offer generous aid to applicants with financial need," said the Princeton Review's Robert Franek.
The list was compiled using institutional data and student opinion surveys collected from fall 2010 through fall 2011 at 650 colleges and universities the company regards as the nation's academically best undergraduate institutions.
