The University of North Carolina Wilmington is one of the top 25 "Best Values" among public universities in the nation and one of the top three in North Carolina, according to Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Kiplinger's ranks four-year schools that combine outstanding economic value with top-notch education. For 2008-09, UNCW is ranked 25th nationally as a "best value" for in-state students and 35th for out-of-state students. This is a significant improvement over last year's rankings, in which UNCW placed 36th in value for in-state students and 51st for out-of-state students. In North Carolina, Kiplinger's ranks UNCW as the third best value in public education, behind only the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University. Kiplinger's has rated UNCW in the top 5 public universities in the state since 2003.
Of UNCW's 14 peer institutions, which are determined by the UNC Board of Governors, 10 appear in the 2008-09 listing of Kiplinger's top 100 best values in public colleges. The top four best values among UNCW's group, comprised of public master's institutions, are Truman State University, the College of New Jersey, UNCW and James Madison University. UNCW moved up one place among its peers from fourth last year.
"UNC Wilmington is clearly making its mark among the best institutions of higher education in the state and the nation," said Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo. "Our faculty and staff are focused on providing our students with the most powerful learning experience possible every day. We are proving that an excellent education is still available at an affordable price, which is recognized by our upward movement in the Kiplinger rankings."
Selected from a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, schools in the Kiplinger 100 were ranked according to academic quality, including admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates, as well as on cost and financial aid. The complete list is available at www.kiplinger.com and appears in the December issue of Kiplinger's, on newsstands Nov. 11.
UNCW also has received top rankings from U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review. For the eleventh consecutive year, UNCW was named one of the top 10 public master's universities in the South in the annual college rankings by U.S.News & World Report. U.S.News ranked UNCW sixth in its 2009 edition and also placed the university fifth on its list of "up-and-coming" master's universities in the South. UNCW also received the 2009 "Best in the Southeast" designation by The Princeton Review.
UNCW Media Contact:
Dana Fischetti, manager of news and media services, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu.
