Top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges
Our rankings for the best public colleges deliver a first-rate education without breaking the bank.
By Jane Bennett Clark, Senior Associate Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, February 2008
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It could just be the best public college you've never heard of, with prices so low that it's a steal even for out-of-state students.
SUNY Geneseo, a small liberal arts college in western New York, boasts top students, a scenic campus, strong programs in both arts and sciences, and new dorms with -- drumroll, please -- washers and dryers on every floor. It adjoins a historic village with killer quaintness and puts students within 30 miles of Rochester, a major college town.
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What's missing at Geneseo? Arguably, only the buzz that impels some parents to pay two or even three times as much for the same features at a private college.
That's good news for parents who want quality and affordability -- and the reason that Geneseo qualifies as one of the top ten best values in public colleges and universities in Kiplinger's annual rankings. This year, Geneseo ranks number one for out-of-state value and number six for in-state value. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a premier research institution with a mission to meet the full financial need of its students, gets top honors for in-state students for the seventh time in a row. Here's the better news: Most students don't have to go beyond their state borders to find a great public program.
About three-fourths of the states claim at least one top performer among the 100 schools on our honor roll, and many states boast several. High school students who live in the north and despise the snow, and southerners who want to trade their flip-flops for Uggs, also have attractive options. UNC at Asheville, number 40 on our list, carries an annual out-of-state sticker price of $22,234 in total costs. The University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, number 39, gives out-of-state students Cheesehead status for less than $19,000.
Several schools moved up dramatically in our rankings from last year. For instance, Indiana University-Bloomington jumped 21 slots, to number 34, thanks in part to improved test scores for incoming freshmen, more-generous financial aid and a lower average debt at graduation. Ohio State moved up 25 slots, to 37, owing to better ACT scores among incoming freshmen and a lower cost (after need-based aid was factored in) for in-state students. A more competitive admission rate, plus better test scores, moved the University of South Carolina from number 51 up to 35.
PRICES HEAD NORTH
Geneseo president Christopher Dahl firmly believes "there's no reason why the state of New York shouldn't offer its residents the same education that would cost $45,000 to $50,000 at a private school. It's elitist to argue that state residents shouldn't have access to an outstanding education at a reasonable price." Dahl's school makes good on that proposition. In-state students pay $4,350 in tuition and total costs of about $15,000. Out-of-staters pay $10,610 in tuition and $21,226 total.
Lately, however, public colleges have been challenged to deliver that kind of deal in the face of climbing enrollment and competing demands for state funding -- especially for kindergarten through 12th grade. Efforts to boost achievement at younger ages mean that higher ed has had to settle for less money, says Ross Hodel, director of the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University. "The mind-set is that higher education is more of an individual benefit than a benefit to society, and higher-education people can take care of themselves."
Reader Comments (29)
Posted by: David Stauber at 01/09/2008 03:00:40 PM
As a Geneseo alum it is great to see this ranking. Too often children and parents look at college as a cost/benefit situations. This report shows that a high quality education can be obtain without financial backing from Fort Knox!
Posted by: Zach at 01/09/2008 06:16:38 PM
As another Geneseo alum, and a recent Binghamton grad school alum, I am proud to see both of my former schools on the list. While Binghamton is a great school, I totally agree that you get that extra little bit of love at Geneseo where there are no grad students to compete with.
Posted by: Jean at 01/11/2008 01:10:04 PM
Having 2 children at a SUNY school has been cost effective and I know they are getting a great education. I think we should encourage more NY students to attend. The out-of-state students just don't pay enough. Increase their tuition; not ours.
Posted by: John at 01/12/2008 10:32:02 AM
SUNY Geneseo has always been a great school which has never really received the national attention it truly deserves. I chose Geneseo over more expensive private schools because I knew I would get the same education if not better at a cheaper price. I chose NYU for graduate school and saved thousands as an undergraduate. At Geneseo you are with the best and brightest students in New York State. It is a warm and friendly campus and does not feel like a typical state school....
Posted by: Heather at 01/14/2008 06:28:34 AM
Why isn't the University of Washington on this list?
Posted by: Angelo at 01/14/2008 11:21:02 AM
Kudos to SUNY Geneseo on their selection as #1 public school. I do, however, think it is elitist for a school to select from ONLY the top 10%, supposedly the cream of the crop. As a publicly supported school it should have a lottery system to allow hard working students who cannot get the coveted A's but are still deserving of the quality education Geneseo offers. Their contributions are just as important in the learning process as are those of the higher achievers. Why should it be that a SUNY Brockport, for example, accept nearly all applicants, while SUNY Geneseo culls tax paying state residents to have a nearly all valedictorian student body?
Posted by: Stephen at 01/14/2008 01:34:30 PM
Why isnt Queens College on that list? Top school, very cost effective, offers more than any SUNY school for alot less.
Posted by: jenng1rn at 01/14/2008 07:29:50 PM
excuse my stupidity, but are these costs annually or for a 4 year degree?
Posted by: Jane Clark at 01/15/2008 08:55:08 AM
The University of Washington is indeed on the list. It is ranked number 9 for in-state value and number 21 for out-of-state.
Posted by: Jane Clark at 01/15/2008 05:00:58 PM
Hi, I'm the author of this story. Unfortunately, as one of the CUNY schools, Queens is not included in our rankings because it doesn't have dorms, and room and board are factored into total costs when we rank the schools. The costs are annual and include tuition, fes, room and board and estimated book expenses. Hope this helps.
Posted by: John at 01/15/2008 06:50:24 PM
I am not too familiar with Queens college but you need to review the criteria that is used to rank these schools. Admissions standards - I think the average SAT score at Geneseo is 1313 with a 93 average, 4 year graduate rate, number of students that go on and attend graduate school, I believe Geneseo is 40%, Cost is factored in as well. Geneseo academically is the most competitive SUNY school to get into at this point. Regarding the comment of Geneseo not accepting average students - that is what is so great about SUNY is that there is a place for everyone within the system. Remember if a C student is attending college with students who all got A's in highschool and now everyone is going for the A in college the average student is going to have a more difficult time doing well. You have to study hard at Geneseo to do well and even then you may only pull a B.
Posted by: TH at 01/15/2008 07:08:22 PM
Go Geneseo! My husband and I both went there and loved it. Our only beef is that the minute you move out of state (which we did), no one has heard of it. Geneseo definitely has to do a better job spreading the word. And believe me, it is certainly far from elitist. These are smart kids, for sure, but our experience was that many were from hardworking, working class and middle class families. It isn't a school where the kids are born with silver spoons in their mouths...If they had, they'd probably have chosen to go somewhere else with better name recognition.
Posted by: Spencer Garrett at 01/16/2008 02:10:53 AM
Why no mention of the military Service Academies (Annapolis, West Point, etc.)?...it seems to me you should at least mention in the article why you exclude a FREE education at some of the top schools in America. Beautiful campuses in idyllic settings near historic cities... do any of the schools in your article (including Genesco) really match up to the Service Adacemies for a "Value" education ?
Posted by: Doug at 01/16/2008 09:19:31 PM
Hi, I'm an editor for Kiplinger.com. This comment addresses Spencer Garrett's question about why Kiplinger's Best Values in Public Colleges list doesn't include military academies. Mr. Garrett, please read "Best Values in Military and Special Academic Programs" in the related links box above. It explains why such schools aren't included in our overall rankings. Kiplinger's does recognize the high value in such institutions of higher learning. Thanks to you and everyone for commenting on our rankings. We hope you find value in the information.
Posted by: Christianne Smith at 01/17/2008 11:07:46 AM
My daughter went to Geneseo and LOVED it! She received a great education in Biology, developed a love for field work (Thank you Dr. Bosch) and is working on her Masters. She has worked with Disney and the Seward Sea Life Center in Alaska. Geneseo- spread the word!
Posted by: PTM at 01/17/2008 05:04:49 PM
We found that the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks provided a very affordable and excellent undergraduate education. Instate rates are very low. Regional rates are very good. Our son says that the high level of debt so often reported is a result of the highly rated and very popular aviation major at UND. Fees for individual students learning to fly commercial aircraft are tremedously high. If the debt associated with this popular major were removed from the mix, UND might compare favorably with other schools.
Posted by: Stacey at 01/17/2008 06:47:42 PM
Geneseo refers to itself as the public honor's college in New York which it is. At Geneseo my son was not just a number. He knew his professors and was challenged academically which prepared him well for graduate school. I recommend this school to all parents and students who want the biggest bang for the buck. And don't be fooled in the world of academia the very best colleges do know of Geneseo. I was glad to see this article. Spread the word!!!!
Posted by: Breda at 01/17/2008 09:07:29 PM
My daughter is a junior at Geneseo. She absolutely loves her school, her friends, everything but the western NY weather. But...when everything else is perfect the weather doesn't matter. Geneseo is a totally awesome school. My daughter is getting an "Ivy League" education at a truly affordable price. She will graduate debt free and will be able to pay for graduate school because she will have no undergraduate debt.
Posted by: Spencer Garrett at 01/18/2008 12:06:45 PM
It would not have been difficult at all to include the service academies in your write-up and would have forced a real examination of the pros and cons of attending them...
Posted by: Janine at 01/19/2008 02:41:39 AM
I was part of the Honors Program at Geneseo and after merit scholarships, usually spent under $1500/ semester on tuition. Who could possibly turn down that offer? (I come from the suburbs of New York where that approximates monthly rent for a one bedroom apartment.) My education matched or beat any of the elite private schools who offered me admission--but their tuition would have been *literally* thirteen times more!! I really agree with President Dahl's comment that residents have a right to affordable, public, higher education. I was offered admission to several PhD programs upon graduation and will always be an advocate of public liberal arts education. The only thing I fear, though, is that Geneseo's very low tuition rates are cheating our faculty, and especially our adjunct faculty, out of due compensation for their enormous commitment to the liberal arts.
Posted by: Mary at 01/21/2008 11:46:40 PM
We visited the school with my daughter and were quite pleased at what we found. We had lunch at an accepted students day and the students and professors seemed to meld perfectly. The math and english departments were top notch and the new science building was beautiful. At the head of our table was the new chair of the math department and she could not have been more approachable. My daughter did not pick this school but is attending a school that is quite similiar in nature, only I am paying thousands of dollars more. Even with scholarship money, what I am paying now, my kid could have attened Geneseo and flown home every weekend if she wanted to. Some other lucky kid took her place instead.
Posted by: brian at 01/22/2008 05:11:18 PM
I'm a very satisfied Geneseo grad. The very best people that I've met in my life are the fellow students I met at Geneseo. Working and middle class kids who had the brains and work ethic to attend any school in the country, but were forced economically to choose a SUNY school. They were kids of moral integrity, strong work ethics and a sense of social responsibility. And now, 15 years later, they remain my closest friends and supporters.
Posted by: WARDO at 01/22/2008 09:44:40 PM
I am a recent Genny grad and the friends and fun times i had there are beyond compare. i managed to get out of undergrad with no loans and a fantastic education in biology. the even better news is that i now attend another suny school (UB) for graduate school. and i must say, i have no proof, but i strongly feel that my degree from geneseo strongly affected my acceptance to buffalo. Geneseo's good reputation is only growing and im truly honored to be an alumn.
Posted by: John at 01/25/2008 09:47:31 PM
I was happy to see Governor Spitzer's State of Upstate speech where Geneseo was mentioned - "At Geneseo State, new full-time faculty will allow that school to continue its march toward national pre-eminence in liberal arts education, and continue combating the brain drain, as it was recently named the best educational value for out-of-state students in the nation."
Posted by: Eric at 02/05/2008 08:43:03 PM
I am the proud parent of 3 kids, our oldest (son) graduated from Cornell, our middle child is a 2006 graduate of Geneseo and our youngest will graduate this year from Geneseo. Both daughters, in Elementary Ed / Special Ed., received a superior education, on level with our Ivy League experience. I am a former School Board President; Geneseo graduates were always heavily recruited by our district, having had a long history of teaching excellence from Geneseo graduates. Glad to learn that Geneseo has received yet another well deserved recognition for creating a superior educational experience for those who are fortunate enough to call Geneseo their alma mater.
Posted by: Rebecca at 03/23/2008 12:42:46 PM
I graduated from Geneseo in 2005 and I can honestly say it was a fantastic experience. My professors were the best of the best, and I feel as though I learned a lot. I now attend a University in the South and while I am enjoying it, nothing compares to Geneseo.
Posted by: SM at 06/13/2008 10:52:03 AM
Geneseo has been the best-kept secret in higher education for 20 years. I don't think there is any public college whose faculty, student body, physical plant and setting can match Geneseo's. When choosing a college, I was prepared to attend a big-name private school, but I decided to visit Geneseo and have a look. Geneseo makes a strong (and lasting) impression; it was an easy decision, and one of the best ones I've ever made.
Posted by: Matt at 08/04/2008 07:10:04 PM
Why should a publicly supported school go by a lottery system? Those who do the best deserve to go to the best schools. A student who has a C average doesn't deserve to go to a top school over a student who has worked harder and gotten A's. Brockport has lower standards than Geneseo, hence why they accept basically everyone who applies, and that's all there is to it.
Posted by: Vince at 09/19/2008 06:44:17 PM
I graduated from Geneseo in 2006 and am now currently in my second year at Stony Brook dental school. Two of my older sisters went to SUNY Geneseo and now one is a doctor at Albany Med and the other graduated top of her class from Boston College Law School and is currently working for one of the largest law firms in Boston. Geneseo is an exceptional school with an unbeatable price tag. If you want to be a PHD, MD, DDS, or Lawyer it only matters where you go to grad school and most grad schools in the North East know of Geneseo and its high standards. So when people ask me where Geneseo is I simply smile, because the people that know are the people who count.