Kiplinger's: UF No. 3 best value large school nationally and in SE

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has named the University of Florida No. 3 nationally among public institutions in its 2014 list of 10 Best Values in Large Colleges.

“Once again, the rankings bear out that the University of Florida stacks up extremely well against its peer institutions around the country,” UF President Bernie Machen said. “I’m proud that we’re able to provide such an extraordinary value for our students and their families.”

In the large-school ranking, released Monday, UF came in ahead of No. 4 University of California, Los Angeles, and No. 5 University of Michigan. The first and second spots went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia, respectively.

The remaining institutions among the top 10 were the top five private universities. The full list is available at http://www.kiplinger.com/article/college/T014-C000-S001-best-values-in-large-colleges.html.

In ranking the best values, Kiplinger’s considered a host of measures of academic quality and affordability, including low student-faculty ratios, high graduation rates, reasonable price tags and rich financial aid, including need-based aid.

“These ten schools are the cream of the crop of that already-elite list,” the Kiplinger’s website noted.

The entry for UF also noted: “At $16,863, the University of Florida has the lowest total in-state cost of our top ten.” In-state cost includes tuition, fees, and room and board.

UF’s student-faculty ratio is 21:1, and its annual in-state tuition for an undergraduate taking 30 credit hours is $6,270. By comparison, the average annual tuition for public universities nationwide is $8,893, according to the College Board.

Nearly two-thirds of UF students graduate with no student loan debt – almost exactly the opposite of the national trend. For those UF students who do graduate with student loan debt, the average amount is $20,708, compared with a national average of $29,400.

In the rankings for the 30 Best College Values in the Southeast, UF came in ahead of New College of Florida (No. 6) and Florida State University (No. 8.) among public institutions. No other Florida schools were on the list, which is available at http://www.kiplinger.com/article/college/T014-C000-S001-best-college-values-in-the-southeast-mid-south.html

Kiplinger’s in January ranked UF the No. 3 best value public college among all institutions nationwide.