U.Va. and W&M ranked among best values in U.S.

-- The University of Virginia offers students the best value among the nation's public universities, and the College of William and Mary is ranked third in The Princeton Review's "Best Value Colleges for 2009" rankings.

The rankings released yesterday are based on surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private colleges and universities.

"Few schools can match University of Virginia's potent combination of phenomenal faculty, intelligent students, remarkable intercollegiate sports and extraordinary academics," the report said.

U.Va. President John T. Casteen III said of the ranking: "We have earned this reputation for affordable excellence because we have expert fiscal managers who handle our resources wisely, because of our top-notch faculty and students, and because of our shared commitment to access and affordability."

Virginia schools also fared well in a second ranking. According to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, students can find plenty of bargains in Virginia.

The magazine's list of the 100 best values in public education for 2008-09 features six Virginia schools, including two of the top five. U.Va. checks in at No. 3 overall, with a total cost of $18,460 for in-state students.

W&M, which has an in-state cost of $19,156, was ranked fifth by the magazine.

Of the magazine's 100 top schools, led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, fewer than two dozen cost more than $20,000 a year for in-state students.

In calculating the relative size of the bargain, the magazine factored in the schools' costs, including room and board; four-year graduation rates; students' average debt at graduation; admission rates; and student to faculty ratios.

Other Virginia schools that made the top 100 were Virginia Tech at No. 15, the University of Mary Washington at No. 23, James Madison University at No. 28 and George Mason University at No. 46.

George Mason climbed from No. 77 in the magazine's previous ranking as a result of improving its test scores and moving more graduates across the stage in four and six years.

Two private Virginia schools also made Kiplinger's rankings. Washington and Lee University was ranked No. 5 on the list of the top 50 values in liberal-arts colleges, and the University of Richmond was No. 17 among private universities.

Staff writers Karin Kapsidelis and Joe Macenka contributed to this report.