21 January 2013
EDUCATION: What are the 10 best values in public colleges?
By Kate Weggeland, Staff Writer
Although there has been an improvement in the economy, many public colleges still struggle with growing class sizes, a higher tuition rate for out-of-state students and cuts in school funding. However, the tuition for out-of-state students remains considerably lower than for students attending private colleges. The top ten values in public colleges for out-of-state students are SUNY Geneseo, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, College of New Jersey, College of William and Mary, UCLA, UC Berkeley, SUNY Stony Brook and University of Maryland.
SUNY Geneseo is ranked number nine in the state of New York. The annual out-of-state cost is $27,769 with an average graduation debt of $21,000. 5,485 students are enrolled in its undergraduate programs. Geneseo has a graduation rate of 69 percent after four years and 81 percent after six years. Geneseo is a small college located in upstate New York that “takes top honors for its combination of academic quality and affordability” (Kiplinger).
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is ranked number one in the state. The annual out-of-state cost is $39,361 with an average graduation debt of $17,525. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has 18,430 students enrolled in its undergraduate programs. It has a graduation rate of 77 percent after four years and 90 percent after six years. “Chapel Hill consistently earns high grades for its stellar quality for all students, including above-average graduation rates, a competitive student-faculty ratio, and a gifted student body,” Kiplinger reported.
SUNY Binghamton is ranked number 12 in the state of New York. It has an annual out-of-state cost of $30,241 with an average graduation debt of $22,634. There are 11,861 students enrolled in Binghamton’s undergraduate programs. SUNY Binghamton has a 67 percent graduation rate after four years and a 78 percent graduation rate after six years.
The University of Virginia is ranked number two in the state of Virginia. The annual out-of-state cost is $48,597 with an average graduation debt of $20,951. UVA currently has 15,762 students enrolled in its undergraduate programs. UVA has a 87 percent graduation rate after four years and a 94 percent graduation rate after six years. Kiplinger stated: “UVA’s number-two status in the overall rankings reflect its academic standards across the board.”
The College of New Jersey is ranked number 24 in the state. The annual out-of-state cost is $36,728 with an average graduation debt of $32,754. There are 1,504 students enrolled in its undergraduate programs. The graduation rate is 73 percent after four years and 86 percent after six years.
UCLA is ranked number six in the state of California. The annual out-of-state cost is $49,766 with an average graduation debt of $18,814. 27,199 students are enrolled in UCLA’s undergraduate programs. The graduation rate is 68 percent after four years and 90 percent after six years.
UC Berkeley is ranked number eight in the state of California. The annual out-of-state cost to attend Berkeley is $51,927 with an average debt at graduation of $17,116. 25,885 students are currently enrolled in Berkeley’s undergraduate programs. The graduation rate is 71 percent after four years and 91 percent after six years.
SUNY Stony Brook is ranked number 22 in the state of New York. The annual out-of-state cost is $29,924 with an average graduation debt of $20,371. 15,926 students are enrolled in its undergraduate programs. The graduation rate is 45 percent after four years and 67 percent after six years.
The University of Maryland is ranked number five in the state. The annual out-of-state cost is $38,310 with an average graduation debt of $24,180. 26,775 students are enrolled in its undergraduate programs. The graduation rate is 66 percent after four years and 82 percent after six years.
Despite higher class sizes, increased tuiton rates and cuts in school funding, out-of-state colleges can still be viable options in these economically troubling times.