Kiplinger Says University Offers One of Nation's Best Values Among Public Colleges

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Kiplinger’s Personal Finance is the latest to recognize the University of Arkansas for its strong combination of academics and value, ranking the university 65th on the publication’s top 100 ‘Best Values in Public Colleges’ list for 2012-2013. The annual public school rankings appear in Kiplinger’s February 2013 issue and are also available online.

“The University of Arkansas is proud to be recognized as one of the best college values in the U.S.,” said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admissions. “It means that while our academic standards continue to increase, tuition remains affordable, providing increased access and reduced financial burden for our students.”

Kiplinger’s assesses academic quality according to several measurable standards including the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Financial criteria include low costs, abundant financial aid and low average debt at graduation.

Last year, the U of A ranked 44th on Forbes’ annual “Top 100 Best Buy Colleges,” climbing 22 spots in the rankings in three years. According to Forbes, the University of Arkansas provides a better overall value than most Southeastern Conference members and many other public institutions in the region. Forbes calculates the “Top 100 Best Buy Colleges” list by taking a school’s overall quality rank on Forbes’ list of “America’s Top Colleges” and dividing that number by the amount of the school’s tuition and additional fees.

The university was also recognized last year as one of “America’s 100 Best College Buys” as a part of the 22nd annual national college survey conducted by Institutional Research & Evaluation Inc.