A UF education might not be as cheap as it used to be, but it's still a top value, according to recent rankings.
UF is still in The Princeton Review's top 10 Best Value Colleges for 2012, although it dropped four spots in the rankings released Tuesday.
The university is listed seventh out of 75 public universities. Last year, it was ranked third.
Rankings were based on schools' cost of attendance, financial aid and academics. The data collected combined student surveys and school records.
David Soto, senior editor of "Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition," the book in which the list was published, said the differentiation between the third- and seventh-ranked schools is very small. Because of all the data, he said it was hard to pinpoint one reason why UF slipped a few spots.
"Moving a few spots does not change the fact that UF provides a great education at a low price," he said.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was ranked number one on the public universities list, while Williams College in Massachusetts topped the private university list.
Because of UF's comparatively low in-state tuition, it is no surprise that UF is among the top 10 again, said UF spokesman Steve Orlando.
In-state tuition and fees for UF total at $5,700, according to the university's website. The College Board website lists the average in-state public university tuition and fees cost as $8,244.
"There has certainly been a lot of conversation about rising tuition, but we are still talking about tuition that is lower than the national in-state average," Orlando said. "It is still an incredible bargain."
Michelle Feole, a 21-year-old chemical engineering junior, said she agrees that she is getting the best bang for her buck at UF.
Along with the financial aid, Feole said she feels she is getting a top-quality education.
"We complain about professors who don't teach well," she said, "but people at some of the best schools in the country who are paying $50,000 in tuition are complaining, too."
Top 10 Public Colleges
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of Virginia
- New College of Florida
- State University of New York at Binghamton
- University of Wisconsin
- College of William and Mary
- University of Florida
- University of Georgia
- University of Washington
- University of Texas at Austin
