Students at UF are getting their money’s worth.
UF ranked 25th on a list of affordable colleges with a high return on investment released by www.affordablecollegesonline.org. The website reviewed 875 fully accredited colleges with a total four-year tuition cost of less than $40,000.
The only other Florida school to make the top 50 was Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which has a campus in Daytona Beach.
To calculate return on investment, the website subtracted the cost of each institution from the expected 30-year salary earned with a degree from the institution. UF’s return on investment was $351,000.
UF spokesman Steve Orlando said the value of a UF degree stems from the idea that UF students are seen as invaluable in many industries.
“A lot of companies look for UF graduates because they are well rounded, innovative and hardworking,” he said.
UF has been recognized for its value before.
In January, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine ranked UF third in value for in-state students.
UF mathematics freshman Robert Taylor, 19, said although the list’s results were impressive, he wasn’t too surprised.
“We definitely don’t have a reputation of being a degree mill,” he said. “I feel like a degree here is actually worth something.”
