UNC Asheville has earned top marks in the Colleges that Pay You Back: 2016 Edition, ranking No. 1 in the nation for “Best Schools for Making an Impact.” The category recognizes schools with the best community service opportunities, student governments, sustainability, and on-campus student engagement, as well as graduates with high job meaning.

“This ranking from The Princeton Review recognizes what our community already knows - that UNC Asheville students and alumni are doing incredible work in and out of the classroom and in their careers. Our ability to make an impact is a credit to exemplary teaching and a culture of creativity. Our students lead on campus and in the community, learning from faculty and staff mentors who work diligently to make a difference. Our graduates take our liberal arts mission to heart and into their professions, striving for innovation, discovery, civic engagement and lifelong learning,” said UNC Asheville Chancellor Mary K. Grant.

Colleges that Pay You Back, released in February, expands on The Princeton Review's prior annual publication, “Best Value Colleges” by focusing in on those factors that prospective students and their families find most important. Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck – 2016 Edition is a one-of-a-kind guide to the nation’s academically best and most affordable colleges that also have excellent records of alumni employment.

“On so many fronts that matter to parents and students alike, these colleges are truly standouts,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior VP/publisher and lead author of Colleges That Pay You Back. “They offer outstanding academics and generous financial aid to students with need and/or charge a relatively low cost of attendance. Some, phenomenally, do both. Their students also have access to extraordinary career services programs and a lifetime of alumni connections and post-grad support.”

The Princeton Review chose the schools based on ROI (return on investment) ratings it tallied for 650 schools last year. The ratings weighted 40 data points that covered everything from academics, cost, and financial aid to graduation rates, student debt, and alumni salaries and job satisfaction.

According to the publication, “UNC Asheville is an inexpensive way to achieve an excellent education, at a school that may be less intimidating than a larger institution. The myriad research opportunities help flesh out a résumé, and the stress on real-world application gets students job-ready before they even set foot outside the mountains.”

The Princeton Review cited UNC Asheville’s Career Center, Study Abroad, Outdoor Programs and service opportunities through the Key Center, as well as the nationally recognized Undergraduate Research Program, as highlights of the school.

UNC Asheville also made the list of The Princeton Review’s The Best 380 Colleges and is ranked as one of the top Public Liberal Arts Colleges, coming in at No. 8 in U.S. News and World Report. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance named UNC Asheville a “Best College Value,” with Fiske Guide to Colleges naming the university a “Best Buy.”

For examples of UNC Asheville students making an impact, visit unca.edu/impact