UPDATED March 27,2015 - UNC Asheville now ranks 11th among public colleges (rather than 10th) in Kiplinger's ranking of average debt at graduation. One university that had "N/A" in this category at the time of Kiplinger's original release is now included with an average debt figure on the list, creating this small change in the category ranking.

UNC Asheville is once again among the top 100 “Best Values in Public Colleges” in the 2015 rankings released online today by Kiplinger’s, advancing to number 51 nationally, up from number 58 last year.

In creating its rankings, Kiplinger started with a list of more than 1,200 public and private four-year schools. Academic quality measures are weighted at 55 percent in Kiplinger’s rankings, with affordability weighted at 45 percent.

Kiplinger includes competitiveness (acceptance rate and SAT scores of incoming freshmen), graduation rates (with the four-year graduation rate weighted most heavily), retention rates, and the student/faculty ratio in measuring academic quality.

UNC Asheville is ranked sixth nationally among public colleges ranked by Kiplinger in total cost of attendance for in-state students, 10th lowest average debt at graduation, and 11th for lowest cost after need-based aid for in-state students.

Schools in the University of North Carolina system made a strong showing in Kiplinger’s rankings, with UNC-Chapel Hill maintaining its spot atop the “Best Values in Public Colleges” list. NC State University, UNC Wilmington, Appalachian State University and Western Carolina University are also among Kiplinger’s top 100 public colleges.

The Princeton Review and The Fiske Guide to Colleges also ranked UNC Asheville as a “best value” this year. In addition, UNC Asheville was the only public university to be included by U.S. News and World Report on the “Best Undergraduate Teaching” list of national liberal arts colleges – placing eighth nationally.

A complete summary of UNC Asheville’s national rankings is available online here.