UGA in top 10 list of best values among public colleges
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance released its annual 100 Best Values in Public Colleges list today based on outstanding education and economic value and awarded the University of Georgia the No. 6 spot.
Georgia Tech earned the 31st spot on the list.
For the 11th year in a row, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill took first place. The rest of the top five in order are the University of Florida, the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary and the New College of Florida.
North Georgia College and State University landed in 88th place.
According to a release on the Kiplinger’s list:
The total cost of private colleges has recently averaged almost $39,000 a year, more than twice the average annual in-state sticker price–roughly $17,000–at public schools. A third of the public schools on Kiplinger’s top-100 list charge about the same as or less than that average amount, an indication of the emphasis Kiplinger’s places on affordability. Plus, the deals aren’t restricted to in-state students.
At UNC-Chapel Hill, out-of-state students pay $37,500 a year, not inconsiderable but far less than the $54,000-plus costs of nearby competitors Duke and Wake Forest. UNC-Chapel Hill provides the same level of financial aid to both in-state and out-of-state students.
Other terrific bargains on the list include North Georgia College and State University (number 88), which runs less than $14,000 a year for in-state total cost and keeps average debt at graduation at $10,000. The University of Sciences and Arts of Oklahoma (number 93) charges $11,230 to in-state students and $18,200 to out-of-staters, making it the lowest-cost institution on the list.
“As states cut funding for higher education and tuition continues to climb, the word “value” becomes more significant than ever,” said Jane Bennett Clark, senior editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. “This year’s top 100 public schools deliver strong academics at reasonable prices. We applaud these institutions for tightening their belts without compromising quality.”
Kiplinger’s assesses quality and affordability according to a number of measurable standards. This year, Kiplinger’s revamped the rankings to give more weight to academic value, such as the percentage of students who return for sophomore year and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include low sticker prices, abundant financial aid and low average debt at graduation.
–From Maureen Downey for the AJC Get Schooled blog
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
67 comments Add your comment
catlady
January 3rd, 2012
6:21 pm
Did the “value” take into account that few GT or UGA students pay their own tuition (or now, most of it) due to the high percentage who get HOPE? Therefore, with a state program like HOPE, most any of our schools would show up well for an ROI, if the “cost” to the student is generally little more than room and board. Not cutting high marks for either school; my PhD is from UGA.
Dawg
January 3rd, 2012
6:22 pm
Tech people…..get a life. Tech is an excellent engineering school. UGA is an excellent state university. Maureen Downy and Proud Dawg….well said !!!
pjboy24
January 3rd, 2012
6:41 pm
No GCSU this year? =(
RLM
January 3rd, 2012
6:42 pm
To ‘Rambling Wreck’ the first thing listed is quality of education. Just as I thought at Tech you can add and subtract but can’t read.
Texas schools named ‘Best Values’ by personal finance mag – Bizjournals.com | Financial News
January 3rd, 2012
7:40 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
ForeverJacket
January 3rd, 2012
7:56 pm
Nerds????? Isn’t it amazing how our society has turned being intelligent into a negative? Maybe that’s why the Indians and Chinese are killing us in the world economy. Oh well, at least we have SEC football – cotton candy for the masses.
William Casey
January 3rd, 2012
8:11 pm
Not sure, but I think that GT is ranked relatively low because a higher % of students “don’t return for their second year.”
Guest
January 3rd, 2012
8:40 pm
“Maybe that’s why the Indians and Chinese are killing us in the world economy.”
Pretty sure it’s because they have billions of people, many of whom are forced to work for a few dollars a day.
EC Mom
January 3rd, 2012
9:50 pm
If you click on the school names in the list you can see the 6-yr grad rate. GT’s 6-yr grad rate is about the same as UGA’s, 80% vs. 82%. It appears just as many UGA students “don’t return for their second year” as at GT, so I don’t think that explains the low 4-yr grad rate. As I said in an earlier post, most engineering degrees require more than 120 credit hours. This is true at other universities besides GT. Interestingly, I looked at the private school list and CalTech and MIT have 4-yr grad rates of 81% and 85%, respectively.
I agree with Maureen, as a resident of Georgia it is great to see a few GA universities on this list…even UGA, and that is coming from a UF graduate and fan. I don’t think HOPE helps GT and UGA’s rankings since according to the article only need-based aid is considered. HOPE only makes these universities a better value. The state of Florida has a similar scholarship program, as well, but with more stringent requirements to qualify.
Truth in Moderation
January 3rd, 2012
10:33 pm
UGA grad opines about the weather….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em4Yd_S2wp0&feature=related
Six Florida colleges named best value – MiamiHerald.com | Financial IQ
January 3rd, 2012
11:17 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Lee
January 3rd, 2012
11:57 pm
The bottom line? For Georgia residents, our public universities are excellent values – especially when you factor in the HOPE Scholarship. Going elsewhere and paying four times the amount does not mean that you get four times the return.
UW earns ‘B’ in value as public college – The Seattle Times | Financial IQ
January 4th, 2012
2:19 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Dunwoody Mom
January 4th, 2012
8:57 am
I’m confused…How do you know if your education is “value” until you actually have a job or career? This list is really irrelevant as far as I can tell.
Milan Moravec
January 4th, 2012
4:40 pm
Cal Chancellor Birgeneau molded UCB into the most expensive public university. Faculty salaries must reflect California’s ability to pay, not what others are paid. Instate tuition consumes 14% of a Californian’s median family income.
Paying more is not a better university. UC Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau dismissed removing many inefficiencies. Birgeneau ($450,000 salary) did not require faculty teaching more classes, doubling the time between sabbaticals, freezing vacant faculty positions, increasing class size, freezing pay, benefits & reforming pensions, health costs.
Birgeneau said removing such inefficiencies and cost savings wouldn’t be healthy. Exodus of faculty, administrators: who can afford them?
Californians agree it is far from the ideal situation. Birgeneau cannot expect to do business as usual: raising tuition/fees; granting pay raises & huge bonuses during a weak economy that has sapped state revenues, individual income.
More recently, Chancellor Birgeneau’s campus police deployed violent baton jabs on students protesting Birgeneau’s increases in tuition. The sky above Cal. will not fall when Robert J. Birgeneau ($450,000 salary) is ousted.
Email opinions to the UC Board of Regents marsha.kelman@ucop.edu
Sue
January 4th, 2012
10:31 pm
Both UGA and TECH are uniquely superior in their own way. My science and math daughter is getting a great degree in agricultural engineering at UGA – she’s Atlanta-born and bred, LOVES ATL but wanted a small-town college environment for a change. The rivalry is OK, but let’s keep it a friendly, supportive in-state relationship!
100 best value state universities: Really? – CBS News | Financial IQ
January 6th, 2012
7:42 pm
[...] of 10 best values in public collegesSFGate.com (blog)Kansas City Star -Los Angeles Times -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 114 news [...]