The 10 Best Value Public Colleges In 2012: Princeton Review List

Everybody wants to get the best bang for their buck in higher education -- but what colleges really are the best value?

The Princeton Review recently rated the best value public colleges for 2012. UNC Chapel Hill topped this list with UVA coming in second.

The 2012 Best Value Colleges lists feature 150 schools in 37 states, many of them in California -- 19 colleges in the state made the rankings -- but none of the Golden State's schools made the list as one of the 10 best values, where in-state tuition is starting to top $10,000 for public universities.

Check out the "Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges for 2012"

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Comments

[Hector Maquieira]

06:23 PM on 02/12/2012

I'm surprised University of Michigan is not on this list. I though in-state tuition was relatively low.

[Bluegirl85]

04:27 PM on 02/09/2012

Try community college for real value. Even if it's just one year you can save a boat load!!

[Bluegirl85]

04:25 PM on 02/09/2012

Living near Philly we have tons of great schools. Sorry kids, this Italian won't be sending you more than 50 miles away. Once you do, they often time don't return. Mia familia!

[lponeill]

08:56 PM on 02/08/2012

I have a son at Purdue, a daughter at U of Minnesota and I went to U of Illinois while my husband went to U of Wisconsin. We looked at every Big Ten college and some ivies when my kids were going to college. U of Minnesota is by far the cheapest out-of-state Big Ten school by at least $10,000. It costs half for my daughter to go to Umn than my son to go to Purdue AND Umn offers many more scholarship opportunities than U of I, UW and Purdue.

[tdudz]

05:36 PM on 02/08/2012

How can UW Madison be consider a value at $23,500 a year, for instate tuition, etc. Plus, the UW system is devoid of any real scholarships.

[melmelmel51]

03:15 PM on 02/09/2012

It's about $9700 instate tuition at Madison...
It's about $25000 for out of state tuition

[tdudz]

05:21 PM on 02/09/2012

This is off their own website:

Wisconsin Resident on campus total costs 23,820, off campus 23,820 TOTAL COST FOR 1 YEAR!

[ricchh]

12:18 PM on 02/08/2012

All the SUNY schools. They are 4500 per year.

[LewAshby]

11:58 AM on 02/08/2012

Since the headline says "colleges" it is unfortunate that so many of the institutions listed are mega-universities.

[intranautt]

01:22 AM on 02/08/2012

Okay, I must favor with UNC...five or so minutes away.

[Jessi12288]

10:44 PM on 02/07/2012

My old college roommate spent a semester at New College and when she came back, every story had something to do with drug use....and my roommate doesn't even do drugs.

Said she learned a lot, though. Heh.

[amiles2233]

09:36 PM on 02/07/2012

I feel like the New College of Florida is on every list

[Truth Always Hurts]

12:31 PM on 02/07/2012

Cal got robbed in this story!

[Angelus2007]

11:38 PM on 02/07/2012

Possibly, because Cal is a very expensive school. California public schools are insanely expensive, even for in state tuition.

[TRhett]

06:13 AM on 02/09/2012

It also might be because every building in the University of California system is full of asbestos. My law firm is working on it, though . . . The Regents of the U of C are our biggest client.

[drkazmd65]

12:19 PM on 02/07/2012

I could nit-pick about my old Colleges (Indiana U - Bloomington & Purdue U - West Lafayette) not being on this list,... but the ones they do list are quality Colleges as well.

[Strepsiades]

12:06 PM on 02/07/2012

Florida is the Sunshine State, you morons. California is the Golden State.

[Uncle Bill]

12:06 PM on 02/07/2012

Wouldn't it be nice if there was some accompanying information about the schools in these slideshows- e.g. the areas that the school is strongest in, the cost of tuition or info on the student body? Simple rank order lists without discussing the basis for the rankings aren't worth much.

[TRhett]

06:13 AM on 02/09/2012

They don't want you to be able to question anything . . .

[Spike5]

11:50 AM on 02/13/2012

Maybe they figure that if you are interested in knowing more about colleges and if you have internet access (which you must or you wouldn't be reading the article. you probably know how to use Google to find their web site and do proper research on your own.

[Uncle Bill]

12:06 PM on 02/13/2012

Which is exactly where I would be without the slideshow.

[chris stl]

11:50 AM on 02/07/2012

I would put N.C. State U at Raleigh, NC up there too .... excellent computer sciences, engineering, math, chem, biotech, agriculture and other programs!

[presto30]

12:03 PM on 02/07/2012

Go Pack!

[brucembarton1]

09:43 PM on 02/07/2012

I second that.