Kiplinger's names W&M a "Best Value" among public colleges
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has ranked
the College of William and Mary the third best value in higher
education, up one spot from last year’s fourth place ranking. The
ranking, which appears in the February issue of the magazine, is part
of Kiplinger’s annual report on the “100 Best Values in Public
Colleges.” 
The report ranks colleges and universities that combine outstanding economic value with a first-class education. The rankings are based on data collected from more than 500 public, four-year colleges and universities and take into account factors of academic quality – such as admission rates, freshmen retention rates, student-faculty ratios, SAT scores and graduation rates, as well as total costs and financial aid available. Other Virginia public universities that made Kiplinger’s Top 100 include the University of Virginia (4th), Virginia Tech (18th), the University of Mary Washington (20th) and James Madison University (21st). Topping the “best Values” list is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
William and Mary is committed to making the college accessible to qualified students regardless of financial background. The college recently initiated “Gateway William and Mary,” an innovative financial aid program that enables Virginia students from lower income families to earn a college degree debt free.
The magazine will be on newsstands this week. To view the complete article, please visit www.kiplinger.com. For rankings, methodology and other specifics, visit www.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges.
