UNC Asheville, Warren Wilson named to ‘best buy’ list

ASHEVILLE – UNC Asheville and Warren Wilson College have been named a “best buy” in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2016.

The Fiske Best Buy list includes 20 public and 24 private colleges and universities. In addition to UNCA and Warren Wilson in North Carolina, UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Guilford College also made the list.

“It is extremely gratifying that UNC Asheville has again been recognized for the exceptional value that a public liberal arts education provides,” UNC Asheville Chancellor Mary K. Grant said in a news release. “I see inspiring interdisciplinary work and creative projects in and out of the classroom every day.”

The guide, created by former New York Times education editor Edward Fiske, calls UNC Asheville “one of the best educational bargains in the country,” according to the release.

UNC Asheville “offers all of the perks that are generally associated with pricier private institutions: rigorous academics, small classes, and a beautiful setting. And it does it for a fraction of the cost,” says the Fiske guide. “The university continues to integrate experiential learning into its traditional curriculum, emphasizing internships and service-learning experiences.”

Additionally, for the 12th consecutive year, UNC Asheville’s Environmental Studies Program was named to the Fiske guide’s list of pre-professional programs with unusual strength in preparing students for careers.

The guide calls Warren Wilson a “valuable place that combines the notion of thinking globally with acting locally,” according to a news release from Warren Wilson.

For incoming freshman at Warren Wilson, the guide says, “The First-Year Experience Program lays a foundation for academic success by introducing students to the study-serve-work trinity through small, interactive group activities.”

With at least 100 hours of service learning required and a weekly 15-hour work requirement, the guide identifies Warren Wilson’s educational model, focus on international and environmental programs and a mountain setting as “tough to beat.”

“The classes are not easy, but the support is great,” a Warren Wilson junior told the Fiske Guide. “The teachers are understanding, helpful, encouraging and supportive.”

Out of 881 students, 55 percent at Warren Wilson study abroad and the guide points out that the cost for the experience is “partly built into their regular tuition.”