UW-Madison rises in best values rankings

The University of Wisconsin–Madison ranks eighth in the nation among best values in public universities, according to a new national survey.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine announced the rankings in its list of 100 best values in public colleges. UW–Madison rose in this year’s list after ranking 13th the previous two years.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was deemed the nation’s top value among public colleges.

On the top 100 list, the University of Michigan is ranked sixth. Several other Big 10 universities rank near the middle of the list, including Indiana University (37th), the University of Illinois (38th), Purdue University (40th), Michigan State University (41st), the University of Minnesota (44th), Penn State University (53rd) and the University of Iowa (56th).

Reviewing data from nearly 600 public four-year colleges and universities, Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to a number of measurable standards. Those include admission rates, the percentage of students who return for their sophomore years, student-faculty ratios and four-year graduation rates. Cost criteria include low sticker prices, abundant financial aid and low average debt at graduation.

The full list of rankings may be found here.