A Better Bargain

When it comes to delivering bang for the buck, UVA is near the head of the class.

That’s according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, which ranked the University third among more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities across the nation for “best value.”

Only the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Florida get better grades for combining “outstanding economic value with a top-notch education,” the magazine says in its February issue.

The rankings combine academic measurements such as test scores and graduation rates with cost and financial aid data. UVA’s four- and six-year graduation rates were the highest among the top 100 in the rankings, and the average debt load of its graduates was the lowest among the top 10.

The University also ranked second in total cost for in-state students after financial aid. Much of that credit goes to AccessUVa, the financial program to help qualified students from low-income circumstances.