Best Public Colleges For The Money: Kiplinger's (PHOTOS)

Given the weak economic landscape and the steep cost of tuition at private universities -- the average total cost of a private university recently hit $35,636 -- paying for a high-quality education can be a greater economic burden than ever before.

But the cost of an great education need not be entirely exorbitant, at least according to Kiplinger's magazine, which this week released its list of the American public colleges that offer the most bang for your buck.

To determine its rankings, Kiplinger's evaluated academic quality and weighed it against the cost of attendance and financial aid. Because the study focused on value, the methodology emphasized academic quality indicators -- including admission rates, SAT and ACT scores, student-to-faculty ratios and graduation rates -- which were accorded twice the weight of affordability.

To assess cost, Kiplinger's considered the total cost of attendance, the total cost after financial aid, the average percent of financial need met with aid and the average amount of student debt at graduation. (The magazine also compiled an interesting list of the colleges that offer the most value to out-of-state students.)

Check out the top eight universities on Kiplinger's list of the best values in public education -- and vote for your favorite -- below, (Also, definitely check out the the full list here.)

#8 University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park placed eighth in the Kiplinger rankings. On average, the university meets 61% of student need, and graduates of the university leave with an average debt of $20,091.

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Comments

[Bobby Ray Koch]

05:32 PM on 01/07/2010

For the cost of most medium to large colleges,there should be a job placement service attached!

http://bobbyraykoch.com

[huff po fan]

04:19 PM on 01/06/2010

It will cost $80 K for my son to graduate from Ohio U. College administrators are not good at managing money. That is the reason they are college administrators.

[Bobby Ray Koch]

05:34 PM on 01/07/2010

For that kind of payment they should guarantee employment,as I believe all but community college should....

http://bobbyraykoch.com

[spartanmom]

03:56 PM on 01/06/2010

SUNY Geneseo is 9 on the list. Why is it not here?

[ibsteve2u]

02:28 PM on 01/06/2010

The way that schools in the belt of states that border the Atlantic Ocean seem to always get top ratings, I should have been wowed by the capabilities and knowledge of the residents of those states any time that I have lived there.

Maybe they all move away? 'Cuz I saw nothing that indicated a level of knowledge superior to any other region I've been in.

Discounting L.A., of course - but I personally believe that there is a premium placed upon your ability to ACT naive-to-the-point-of-ignorant, there.

[spartanmom]

03:54 PM on 01/06/2010

You need to talk to more people than just Wal-mart greeters when you travel

[acslaterson]

12:17 PM on 01/06/2010

I would like to see the percentage of those who live on campus. Students living at home can save a lot of money. I know all of my debt was paying for off campus housing(I was in the National Guard and had 100% of my tuition paid for).

[brightershade]

12:16 PM on 01/06/2010

All of these universities need to take a lesson from Berea College (www.berea.edu) where the tuition is FREE!!

How does Berea provide free tuition?

By using the earnings from its $1B endowment to pay for full scholarships for every student it admits.

If other universities (hint: greedy Harvard with its $34 billion) followed Berea College's 150-year example, imagine what it could do for the United States.

[LegalCodex]

02:49 PM on 01/06/2010

Harvard already gives free tuition to anyone from a family making

[spartanmom]

04:02 PM on 01/06/2010

Princeton if Free also. All aid is grant aid because they figure that if you are good enough to get in, you are good enough not to have to mortgage your future to afford it.

[xtiangodloki]

11:37 AM on 01/06/2010

Not sure what's the point of comparing the cost of public state universities if a lot of these universities charge a lot more for out of state students? If I remember correctly UNC Chapel Hill charged something like $8k more for out of state students.

Each state usually have one good state university. If people are worried about the costs it's always the best to attend the local university.

[steppenwolfsayshi]

04:40 PM on 01/06/2010

Most states don't have a prestigious public university. That's the point of the list.

[Peter007]

08:53 AM on 01/06/2010

This article is an advertisement for colleges and it's presented as a news story. It should have (advertisement) placed after the headline. This type of marketing is well known. Drug companies do it all the time.

[SweetJebus]

07:11 AM on 01/06/2010

W00t! Go W&M!

[ndem]

06:33 AM on 01/06/2010

I would add Plan II at Univ of Texas/Austin...an Ivy League education which (in-state) costs less than any other school. I had an excellent undergrad education there and did my Masters and PhD at Univ of Wash Seattle another great school for the money! Long live high standards of public education!!!!

[LegalCodex]

02:51 PM on 01/06/2010

Plan II is not Ivy league at all, I have no clue why UT liberal arts students like to think so. UTexas has some great programs, in the sciences and engineering, but their liberal arts programs are kind of lacking in many areas. That being said, college is what you make of it, and UT is a great place for business/academic connections in most fields.

[ScapeGoat]

10:51 PM on 01/06/2010

I don't think the U of T is an ivy league education.
Now Rutgers is.

[barrycourage]

05:49 AM on 01/06/2010

This list and the U.S. News & World list are junk and should be ignored.

Do these magazines evaluate the academic quality of every program in every school? They can't. And even if they did, the information would be too old by the time it is published.

Kiplinger's says it weighs

Admission rates--Selectivity is not an indicator of quality. It might be an indicator of favoritism, nepotism, or outright discrimination. The students selected don't mean the education they get is good.

SAT and ACT scores--These tell only who has been trained best to take standardized tests. Consider "The Volvo Factor:" A high school's standardized test scores correlate highly with the average income and square footage of homes in the community.

Student-to-faculty ratios--A 1:1 ratio is worthless if the instructor is a dingbat.

Graduation rates--The students who did not graduate might have transferred to better schools. The students who did might not have been able to transfer to better schools.

As a victim of too much reliance on these surveys, take my advice: Do your own research. Interview people in the student's chosen field of study and ask them about the schools they think produce the most capable professionals.

And remember: It's up to the student to get the best out of the educational experience.

[barrycourage]

05:59 AM on 01/06/2010

Also: Know what to ask. When interviewing professionals about schools in their field ask them for questions to ask a school. There could be an important component of the education provided about which you did not know. And ask these questions to faculty members. Bypass admissions counselors. It's a free country; consult with whom you want.

And then trust your gut.

[No2bailouts]

01:52 AM on 01/06/2010

Good to know
good articles; http://iamned123.blogspot.com/

[littlehills]

01:22 AM on 01/06/2010

What a beautiful picture of Chapel Hill. Thanks for this great article letting people know the many viable options to graduates for a wonderful education.

[platanoman]

11:14 PM on 01/05/2010

BYU= Religious fanatics. No thanks.

[GrownupStewie]

10:51 PM on 01/05/2010

My sister went to University of Florida and it is such a party school...the town it is in is awful im told. Its really low end, hick and ghetto and yet she hasnt left after graduating 3 years ago...

I suppose she got a good education, but its a waste if you stay in that town..I think its called Gainesville...

im suprised UCLA isnt on that list..

[archUF]

01:23 AM on 01/06/2010

beauty is in the eye of the beholder - we have the best local fresh food at an amazing farmers market, a great arts and entertainment scene, the best hospitals in the state available close, an incredibly diverse population, affordable living prices, and not to mention it has the most parks of any city in Florida! (plus the resources of the university, excellent public transport, ...etc, etc etc.) maybe you shouldn't judge if you have no concept of what real priorities are? Dirty at times? Yes, but always charming. If you're looking for a typical sterile florida planned community, you're not going to find it in Gainesville. But that's precisely why its great. And, yes, it has been ranked high for partying, but maybe you should look at the academics as well? Work hard, play hard.

[echinus]

07:04 AM on 01/06/2010

Although not an alumnus of UF...I have known and worked with many
professionals and graduates of UF...all are competent and reflect the
quality education that they received.