Top 100 Best Value Colleges for 2009

The Princeton Review in partnership with USA Today has released a list of 100 best value colleges for 2009. The top ten private colleges and the top ten public colleges have been ranked; the rest have been released in a list according to alphabetical order. The Princeton Review is a educational services and test prep company that releases a list of best colleges every year.

The list has been prepared by surveying students and administrators at 650 college campuses in the United States. Cost is not the only factor that was looked at while creating the list. Emphasis has been paid to the value that students receive from their education. USA Today states that the selection criteria included more than 30 factors in the areas of academics, costs and financial aid.

This list can be a good starting point for most international students that are planning on applying to colleges in the US. The private colleges listed are extremely competitive to get into, but it should be relatively easier to get admission in to the public universities listed.

Top Ten Best Value Private Colleges

1. Swarthmore College
2. Harvard College
3. Princeton University
4. Rice University
5. Yale University
6. Williams College
7. Amherst College
8. California Institute of Technology
9. Pomona College
10. Stanford University

Top Ten Best Value Public Colleges

1. University of Virginia
2. New College of Florida
3. College of William & Mary
4. State University of New York-Binghamton
5. Florida State University
6. North Carolina State University
7. University of California San Diego
8. City University of New York — Hunter College
9. University of Georgia
10. The College of New Jersey

You can read the original USA Today article here. Did you apply to any of the colleges featured on this list? Were you offered financial aid? Please share your views with our readers in the comments below.