Going to college isn't cheap but there are some universities that offer better returns on the substantial investment, according to a new ranking. lgore@al.com

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Bob Gathany | AL.com

Which Alabama colleges offer the best value?

Personal finance magazine Kiplinger issued its 2018 national ranking of 300 public and private schools based on quality and affordability. Among the factors considered are financial aid, expected time to graduate, post-graduate earnings and other factors.

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Princeton University

Tops in the country

Coming in at tops on the list is Princeton University in New Jersey. Princeton has an admittance rate of 7 percent, cost an average of $61,140 a year and has a four-year graduation rate of 89 percent.

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Princeton University

Princeton salaries

Ten years after completing their education, the median earnings of Princeton students was $80,500 per year.

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Alabama's best values

Four Alabama universities made the list of the state’s best values: Alabama, Auburn, Birmingham Southern and Samford. Here’s how they ranked:

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JWRandolph

Birmingham-Southern College

Coming in at number 244 out of 300 was Birmingham-Southern College. Years tuition at Birmingham-Southern is listed at $44,172, though the school recently announced plans to slash that by more than 50 percent. Birmingham-Southern has an admittance rate of 48 percent with a four-year graduation rate of 53 percent, according to Kipplingers.

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JWRandolph

Birmingham-Southern College

Ten years after graduation, the median income for a Birmingham-Southern grad was $45,600. The average debt at graduation is $27,776.

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Auburn University

Auburn University

Auburn University’s was ranked 227 out of 300 on the list of best value colleges. Average yearly cost is $44,172 with an admittance rate of 81 percent and four-year graduation rate of 47 percent.

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Auburn University

Auburn salaries

Ten years after graduation, the median salary for Auburn grads is $47,100 with the average debt at graduation of $28.170.

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University of Alabama

University of Alabama

Alabama came in at number 208 on the list. The school has a 53 admittance rate with a total cost per year of $39,274. UA’s four-year graduation rate is 44 percent.

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University of Alabama

UA salaries

Ten years after graduation, the median salary for Alabama graduates is $42,700. The average debt at graduation is $33,816.

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Samford University

Samford University

Alabama’s highest-ranking school on the list was Samford University, which came in at number 166.

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Samford University

More on Samford

Samford’s admittance rate is 91 percent with a four-year graduation rate of 59 percent. The average total cost per year is $41,770.

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Samford University

Samford salaries

Ten years after graduation, the median income of Samford grads was $46,300. The average debt at graduation was $29,292.

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Vanderbilt University

Top 10 list of value schools

Princeton University (NJ) Davidson College (NC) Swarthmore College (Penn) Harvard University (Mass) Duke University (NC) Pomona College (Calif.) Vanderbilt University (Tennessee) Rice University (Texas) Washington and Lee University (Virginia) Wellesley College (Mass.)

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University of Florida

Other notable schools

No. 32 University of Florida

No. 76 University of Georgia

No. 187 University of South Carolina

No. 197 University of Arkansas

No. 226 Texas A&M University

No. 234 University of Missouri

No. 246 University of Tennessee