(January 4, 2011) — Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked New College of Florida #11 on its annual ranking of the “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” for 2011. This year marks the eighth consecutive time that New College has placed among the nation’s top 20 public colleges overall on the Kiplinger’s list of schools delivering a stellar education at an affordable price.
The special report and complete rankings are available in the February 2011 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and online at www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges.
“Perennial stars in our rankings include the University of Florida (number two) and the New College of Florida (number 11), both of which offer strong academics at a sticker price below $15,000,” wrote Jane Bennett Clark, senior associate editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. “New College, a tiny honors school with a spectacular view of Sarasota Bay, drops the price to less than half that amount for in-staters who qualify for need-based aid. For a rock-bottom $4,545, students get the view, the company of other highly competitive students and a 10-1 student-faculty ratio.”
Kiplinger’s selects 100 schools from more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities and ranks them according to cost and financial aid as well as academic quality, including admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates. Academic quality carries more weight in the scoring system than costs (almost two-thirds of the total).
“For 50 years since our founding, New College has consistently provided a student-centered education focused on academic excellence, strong faculty mentoring and independent study,” said New College President Mike Michalson. “We’re delighted that Kiplinger’s continues to recognize the high caliber and affordable education New College offers its students.”
The Top 20 Kiplinger’s “Best Values in Public Colleges”
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2. University of Florida
3. University of Virginia
4. College of William and Mary
5. University of Maryland, College Park
6. Binghamton University (SUNY)
7. SUNY Geneseo
8. University of Georgia
9. University of Wisconsin–Madison
10. University of Washington
11. New College of Florida
12. University of California, San Diego
13. University of California, Los Angeles
14. University of Texas at Austin
15. North Carolina State University
16. University of California, Berkeley
17. University of California, Irvine
18. Georgia Institute of Technology
19. James Madison University
20. Florida State University