UNC named Best Value' university by Kiplinger's for 10th straight year

For the tenth consecutive year, UNC has been named the best value in the land.

The University received the No. 1 ranking on Kiplinger’s “Best Values in Public Colleges” list.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine annually compiles a list of the 100 most affordable public universities with high academic standing.

It reviews more than 500 public four-year schools and then judges them according to academic standards including retention rates and student-to-faculty ratios. Academic standing is scored and then compared to the total expense of in-state students, including tuition, textbooks and room and board.

“The top Kiplinger’s ranking resonates for us because it recognizes our passion for providing the highest-quality education possible to these students at an affordable price,” said Chancellor Holden Thorp in a press release.

UNC is trying to prepare for an estimated state budget shortfall of $3.7 billion, which could lead to a reduction in the UNC-system budget between 5 and 15 percent.

“We’re trying our hardest to continue to keep Carolina accessible for students who need financial aid, but we can’t anticipate the impact of deep cuts at the moment,” said Ron Strauss, executive associate provost.

Stephen Farmer, associate provost and director of undergraduate admissions, said he was optimistic about the University’s ability to deal with whatever budget cut the state hands down for the upcoming 2011-12 fiscal year.

“Budget cuts that lead to deterioration in quality will certainly hurt us, but we’re not at that point yet,” he said.The ratings are compiled through a grading system that rates schools on academics and affordability. Academic standing is two-thirds of the score each school earns on the list while cost, with a heavy emphasis on financial aid, accounts for the other third.

“The key thing is the quality of the school, because if the University weren’t a great university, and if the students weren’t terrific, we wouldn’t be at the top of the Kiplinger’s list again,” Farmer said.

In-state students pay an average of $17,000 per year, while out-of-state students pay $35,614, placing UNC as the third-best buy on Kiplinger’s out-of-state list.

UNC awards an average of $9,980 of need-based aid per qualified student, according to Kiplinger’s.

“I worked in student aid at different places for almost 40 years,” said Shirley Ort, associate provost and director of scholarships and student aid. “And the commitment to fund the needs of students is the strongest here that I’ve seen anywhere in the country.”

Contact the University Editor at university@dailytarheel.com.