UF was deemed one of the best academic bang-for-your-buck schools in the country by the Princeton Review and Kiplinger.
UF landed at No. 7 on the Princeton Review’s list for public schools providing solid education with economic value. The list, released Tuesday, is based on an evaluation of more than 30 benchmarks and student opinions.
The company’s criteria examine three factors: academics, cost of attendance and financial aid.
UF spokesman Steve Orlando said the ranking is significant.
“We are proud of the quality of education and the value of the degree our students get,” Orlando said.
To determine academic quality, the company reviews admissions competitiveness and professors’ teaching ability and accessibility, according to the Princeton Review press release.
UF’s 46.5-percent admissions rate and 21-1 student-faculty ratio contribute to competitive academic rankings, Orlando said. The company compiles the financial aid ranking based on the amount of need-based aid given to students and student opinions on satisfaction with that aid.
UF gives about $562 million annually in student financial aid. About 60 percent of UF undergraduates graduate with no student loan debt, Orlando said.
“That’s almost the opposite of the national trend,” he said.
The Princeton Review calculates the cost of attendance by including tuition, required fees and the cost of room and board. The company then subtracts the average amount of scholarship and grant money given to students.
UF followed University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Virginia for the No. 3 spot on Kiplinger’s list, which was published last month. UF has the lowest in-state cost on the company’s top 10 best-value public schools list and is the largest university represented, according to Kiplinger’s website.
Karim Hussain, a 21-year-old in-state UF marketing and English senior, said he will graduate with some debt. However, he said he is satisfied with the amount of money he gets from financial aid and Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
“I feel like I’m getting a high-quality education, especially for universities within Florida,” Hussain said.
Ross Elpren, an 18-year-old UF exploratory freshman, said out-of-state tuition along with housing and other school-related expenses cost about $40,000 every year. He said he wasn’t satisfied with his financial aid disbursement but still considers a UF education a good value.
“I’m getting a great education here, and that’s the reason I did come to UF,” Elpren said. “Hopefully the value will even itself out when I go for a job.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/30/2014 under the headline "UF scores high for education quality, value"]
