Kiplinger’s ranks UW-Madison ninth best value

In a national survey, business magazine Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has ranked the University of Wisconsin–Madison the ninth best value among public universities, jumping five spots from last year’s ranking of No. 14.

As in last year’s rankings, UW–Madison leads all public Big Ten universities. The University of Michigan is closest in the survey, at No. 22.

The full list of rankings may be found in the magazine’s February edition.

Reviewing data from more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, Kiplinger’s bases its rankings on both academic measures and costs. It uses ACT or SAT test scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates. The magazine also ranks schools on affordability, looking at total expenses and financial aid.

“Despite rising tuition costs, there are still many first-rate institutions providing outstanding academics at an affordable price,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s. “Schools like these on the Kiplinger 100 list prove graduates can enter the workforce with a great education — and without a huge cloud of debt.”

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was deemed the nation’s top value among publics. The top 100 also includes two other UW System campuses: UW-La Crosse at No. 43 and UW-Eau Claire at No. 68.