NC State Advances on Best Value List

NC State made a big jump on the Princeton Review/USA Today ranking of the best values in higher education, rising to sixth place on the list of public colleges this year. The assessment is based on more than 30 data points covering academics, cost and financial aid. NC State didn’t make the Top 10 list last year and was ranked ninth in 2011.

In a four-page assessment of NC State, the editors quoted students praising the university for the quality of teaching and welcoming campus climate.

Fortunately, “people of all ethnicities and backgrounds interact seamlessly,” though on the whole, “the student body is somewhat conservative compared to other schools in the area.” If there’s any uniting factor on campus, it’s that “everyone loves the Wolfpack,” students said.

“The education provided here is comparable to any private institution around,” and professors “are always willing to help when needed,” other students added.

Campus life fared well on the survey, achieving a score of 95 for quality of life, 98 for fire safety and 95 for sustainability. Academics scored 81 overall with faculty scoring 83 for being interesting and 82 for being accessible. Admissions ranked 91 for selectivity, accepting just under half of all applicants. The financial aid rating came in at 84, with 94 percent of freshmen receiving need-based scholarships or grant aid and average cumulative student indebtedness estimated at $17,317.

The Top 10 values in public higher education are:

1. University of Virginia (Charlottesville)
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
3. New College of Florida (Sarasota)
4. College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.)
5. University of California at Los Angeles
6. North Carolina State University (Raleigh)
7. University of Wisconsin (Madison)
8. State University of New York at Binghamton
9. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
10. University of Georgia (Athens)

Princeton Review, which is not affiliated with Princeton University, conducts the annual survey in order to publish a book with the results that is marketed to prospective students.