� Best Values in Public Colleges, 2011-12
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Kiplinger's Best Values in Public Colleges

January 2012

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Compare the 100 top values in public colleges and universities, or create your own custom lists of individual colleges or schools from a particular state. Use the arrows at the top of any column of data to rank any list of colleges by critical cost and financial-aid metrics. For more information on a particular college, click the college's name for a complete data sheet.

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Rank
(in-
state)
 Rank
(out-of-
state)
 Name
 State
 Admit rate
 4-yr-
grad rate
 Total cost
per yr. (in-
state)
 Cost after need-
based aid
(in-
state)
 Total cost
per yr.
(out-of-
state)
 Cost after need-
based aid
(out-of-
state)
 Avg.
debt at
graduation
11The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel HillNC32%76%$17,628 $6,548$37,454$26,374$16,165
28University of Florida, GainesvilleFL435915,5268,07937,80330,35616,013
35University of Virginia, CharlottesvilleVA338521,6265,13845,94829,46019,384
44The College of William and Mary, WilliamsburgVA328223,05411,49945,33133,77621,367
519New College of Florida, SarasotaFL535715,4585,31638,48728,34511,458
69University of Georgia, AthensGA595419,25810,28837,46828,49815,938
77University of California, Berkeley, BerkeleyCA226929,02713,16451,90536,04216,056
810University of Maryland, College Park, College ParkMD446319,40912,45036,78029,82122,696
96University of California, Los Angeles, Los AngelesCA236828,17415,39751,05238,27516,733
1013University of California, San Diego, La JollaCA385726,23210,31749,11033,19518,757
113State University of New York College at Geneseo, GeneseoNY386218,13413,75827,18422,80821,200
122State University of New York at Binghamton, BinghamtonNY406620,02613,31028,13621,42021,110
1311University of Wisconsin–Madison, MadisonWI585118,59012,73334,34028,48322,837
1418University of Washington, SeattleWA575421,15212,43238,63629,91616,219
1521The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, WilmingtonNC574514,1597,36725,98019,18819,277
1624University of Michigan, Ann ArborMI517223,95313,17049,62538,84227,828
1716University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa BarbaraCA466428,10012,71149,91034,52117,596
1831Florida State University, TallahasseeFL605016,23711,84731,40427,01420,993
1926North Carolina State University, RaleighNC544116,5546,89629,38919,73119,988
2022University of California, Davis, DavisCA455128,14613,26351,02436,14116,659
2143Texas A&M University, College StationTX694617,9618,94133,35124,33122,243
2217University of California, Irvine, IrvineCA456027,23414,19952,86239,82715,529
2314Truman State University, KirksvilleMO744314,99811,39220,54216,93619,118
2430The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX475321,09011,85743,80234,56924,667
2523University of Delaware, NewarkDE546222,46215,72838,73231,99817,200
2612The College of New Jersey, EwingNJ477125,56415,87435,37325,68327,057
2725University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, ChampaignIL676725,69414,80939,83628,95121,543
2833James Madison University, HarrisonburgVA606717,66410,98430,95424,27420,417
2915University of Pittsburgh, PittsburghPA586126,67218,39136,08027,79926,612
3028University of Connecticut, StorrsCT546622,57014,40339,46631,29923,237
3137Georgia Institute of Technology, AtlantaGA523319,47810,05637,68828,26621,838
3238Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, BlacksburgVA675318,46512,02031,86725,42223,100
3342Appalachian State University, BooneNC683713,0486,11325,09618,16116,130
3436Clemson University, ClemsonSC635020,98617,64937,14433,80717,882
3529Stony Brook University, State University of New York, Stony BrookNY414318,46811,19327,91820,64319,807
3646New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, SocorroNM321712,4195,71522,87116,16715,964
3740The Ohio State University, ColumbusOH684920,46912,68035,36427,57522,830
3827University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, BuffaloNY514319,21414,07828,66423,52816,010
3957University of Central Florida, OrlandoFL463515,5719,81031,05025,28918,966
4065Indiana University Bloomington, BloomingtonIN695018,76710,11238,78330,12827,752
4158North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-SalemNC415215,9508,54628,89921,49516,858
4235St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's CityMD657426,36017,69638,43729,77317,505
4332Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick/Piscataway, PiscatawayNJ595325,56615,62938,22828,29116,766
4444University of Mary Washington, FredericksburgVA776818,70612,20630,43423,93415,600
4560The University of North Carolina at Asheville, AshevilleNC773013,6457,44327,27721,07515,443
4650The University of Texas at Dallas, RichardsonTX504220,73214,06837,75831,09417,384
4766The University of Iowa, Iowa CityIA844417,60511,11934,93928,45327,391
4839Ramapo College of New Jersey, MahwahNJ486424,46814,43332,65522,62026,187
4961Michigan State University, East LansingMI704921,35212,46540,29731,41021,818
5068George Mason University, FairfaxVA523918,68411,77535,44828,53922,219
5147The Pennsylvania State University University Park Campus, University ParkPA556226,94020,33339,02232,41531,135
5249Miami University, OxfordOH796825,39319,31040,56534,48227,315
5356University of Arkansas, FayettevilleAR603516,7189,55227,15019,98421,562
5420University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, MinneapolisMN484521,78814,09026,78819,09027,578
5545State University of New York at New Paltz, New PaltzNY374317,71012,89726,76021,94725,732
5654University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa CruzCA655029,42813,89052,30636,76817,546
5767University of South Carolina, ColumbiaSC704619,14414,11735,32830,30121,811
5848State University of New York College at Oneonta, OneontaNY414817,96012,64927,01021,69917,564
5977University of Vermont, BurlingtonVT716125,69211,11645,33230,75627,696
6076Purdue University, West LafayetteIN653820,70311,78038,87129,94826,360
6159College of Charleston, CharlestonSC705421,01917,84635,73332,56020,541
6252University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La CrosseWI783315,80910,47423,38318,04821,420
6386University of North Florida, JacksonvilleFL512014,9609,17127,71121,92215,300
6451University at Albany, State University of New York, AlbanyNY475519,33012,87428,78022,32424,146
6534University of Minnesota, Morris, MorrisMN655420,21211,08220,21211,08222,952
6679Iowa State University of Science and Technology, AmesIA813716,1519,73828,02321,61030,062
6772University of Oklahoma, NormanOK853317,42811,41728,38122,37021,517
6882University of Nebraska–Lincoln, LincolnNE622917,2309,92629,51522,21116,664
6964Colorado School of Mines, GoldenCO463724,94817,27139,63331,95628,126
7055University of Massachusetts Amherst, AmherstMA685224,10715,24636,89528,03425,420
7153Salisbury University, SalisburyMD534717,21812,42325,56420,76918,541
7291Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton RougeLA722816,5248,14629,53221,15419,242
7378University of Colorado at Boulder, BoulderCO834122,42214,54943,60035,72719,758
7487The University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleTN743118,32415,18235,46632,32419,987
7570State University of New York College at Brockport, BrockportNY424218,02812,88827,07821,93825,733
7681Towson University, TowsonMD574019,22811,62730,74023,13919,069
7773San Diego State University, San DiegoCA303019,78810,58830,94821,74815,500
7862State University of New York, Fredonia, FredoniaNY504717,97813,64127,02822,69127,110
7980University of Missouri–Columbia, ColumbiaMO844319,21012,07032,00524,86522,145
8089The University of Alabama, TuscaloosaAL543818,26411,58431,56424,88426,701
8175Western Washington University, BellinghamWA743618,46310,42628,30320,26617,652
8285University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau ClaireWI712614,4359,14722,00816,72021,185
8341California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, San Luis ObispoCA332720,06317,23922,03119,207NA
8463University of Maryland, Baltimore County, BaltimoreMD633420,60412,67331,00723,07619,122
8571University of Illinois at Springfield, SpringfieldIL595019,70211,48928,85220,63917,335
8697Colorado State University, Fort CollinsCO813718,34011,71434,04027,41421,224
8774University of South Florida, TampaFL452416,56410,59825,75419,78821,679
8894North Georgia College & State University, DahlonegaGA562913,9629,86225,93821,83810,021
8990Auburn University, Auburn UniversityAL793619,79013,05734,38227,64924,777
9084West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West ChesterPA413917,52212,12026,88221,48025,159
9183California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, PomonaCA452018,98110,70130,14121,86116,704
9295Oklahoma State University, StillwaterOK813214,8268,06026,17419,40821,204
9393University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, ChickashaOK561811,2304,13218,19011,09215,339
9469Christopher Newport University, Newport NewsVA604220,81215,72530,03424,94721,572
9599University of California, Riverside, RiversideCA794426,78311,45449,66134,33218,094
9696Louisiana Tech University, RustonLA612813,0895,51620,21412,64114,039
9798University of Oregon, EugeneOR794419,64014,06738,50432,93120,928
9892California State University, Long Beach, Long BeachCA341218,41412,97029,70824,26410,787
99100The University of Arizona, TucsonAZ753418,8269,56535,03625,77520,074
10088University of New Hampshire, DurhamNH736125,90221,94739,22235,26735,671
NA - Not available. SOURCE - Peterson's Undergraduate Database. © 2011 Peterson's/Nelnet LLC. All rights reserved.