10 Best Value in Public Colleges That Deliver More Bang for Your Buck

Every year Kiplinger Ranks Best Values in Public Colleges. Recently 10 Best Value Public Colleges 2013 rankings was published.

Guess who tops this year Best Value Public Colleges rankings?  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  I have to fell proud about this right?

UNC is 15 minutes from my home and I visit UNC campus area frequently and I close friends who went to UNC.

Lets look at some details about UNC.

For detailed department based scores go to  – Average GRE Scores for UNC

FALL 2012 – First Year Admissions

• 29,497 applied
• 7,847 admitted (27% of those applying; 50% of NC applicants, 15% of others)
• 3,914 enrolled (50% of those admitted; 65% of NC admits, 25% of others)

FALL 2012  – Enrolled

• 1st in high-school class 7% (of those whose schools reported rank)
• 2nd in high-school class 13%
• Top 10% of high-school class 79%
• Average GPA 4.5 (of 91% whose schools reported 4.0 GPAs)
• High-school GPA of 4.0+ 91%

25th-75th percentiles

• SAT Critical Reading 590-700
• SAT Math 610-710
• SAT Writing 580-690
• ACT Composite 28-32

Demographics

• U.S. citizens 95.5%
• Permanent residents 2.5%
• Non-Resident aliens 2%
• Female 59%
• Male 41%

Average scores of admitted applicants – Grad School

Test	Average Score
GPA	3.54 or >3.0
GRE-V	582 or >50th percentile
GRE-Q	682 or >50th percentile
TOEFL	>213 Computer, >550 Paper, >79 Internet

2. University of Virginia

University of Virginia takes the second place.

Go here for Average GRE Score for University of Virginia

Class Profile : 2011 – 2012

• 14,591     Undergraduate
• 6,515     Graduate
• 21,106     Total on Grounds

• 69%     Virginian
• 31%     Non-Virginian
• 55%     Female
• 45%     Male

• 97% of first-year students return for the second year
• 64% of students are involved in research

Admission Statistics 2012-2013

• 28,265     Applications
• 8,038     Offers of admission
• 3,360     First-year students enrolled
• 93.1% of enrolling students ranked in top tenth of class
• 72% enrolling from public secondary schools

Middle 50% rate for SAT scores:

• 620-720 Critical Reading
• 640-740 Math
• 630-730 Writing

3. University of Florida

Fall 2012 Admitted Students Data.

• Average GRE Score for University of  Florida
• F1 Visa Approved for University of Florida

Middle 50% of the Class

• High School GPA of 4.0 – 4.4
• SAT of 1810-2080
• ACT of 27 – 29
• Type:      4-year, Public
• Student population:      49,589 (32,598 undergraduate)
• Student-to-faculty ratio:      20 to 1

4. College of William and Mary

• Type:      4-year, Public
• Awards offered:      Bachelor’s degree
• Master’s degree
• Post-master’s certificate
• Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship
• Doctor’s degree – professional practice
• Campus setting:      Suburb: Large
• Student population:      8,200 (6,071 undergraduate)
• Student-to-faculty ratio:      12 to 1

Admission Statistics

• Applications: 13,660
• Acceptance Rate: 32%
• Class Size: 1,469

Academic Profile of Entering Freshmen

• 79% ranked in the top 10%
• 95% ranked in the top 20%
• Mid-50% Ranges for the SAT
  
• Critical Reading and Math: 1250-1460
• Critical Reading: 620-740
• Math: 630-720
• Writing: 620-720
• Mid-50% Range for the ACT
•  28-32 Composite

 5. University of Maryland, College Park

For the Fall 2012 freshman class

• Application received : 25,000+  applications for a class of 3,975.
• Accepted : 10,588 students were extended offers of admission for the fall.

For Fall 2012, students admitted to the University of Maryland have an average (weighted) GPA of 4.11 and the middle 50% of SAT scores ranged from 1250 to 1400, and between 28-32 on the ACT. As a result 25% of the admitted students scored below a 1250 on the SAT and 25% scored above a 1400.

Average GRE Score – Computer Science

The average score for the General GRE is:

• Verbal – 580 (prior to November 2011) or 158 (since November 2011)
• Quantitative – 780 (prior to November 2011) or 163 (since November 2011)
• Analytical – 5.0

International students require TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

Undergraduate grade point averages are generally 3.5 or above

Average GRE Score – Electrical Engineering

We do not keep statistics on average test scores, but most applicants score high on the Quantitative section and moderately on the Verbal section. Your Quantitative score is more important than your Verbal score.

6. University of California, Los Angeles

California residents	out-of- state	international	withdrawn	total
applicants	51,797	10,284	9,499	1,117	72,697
admits	9,830	3,045	3,107	–	15,982
enrolled	4,002	607	1,012	–	5,621
admit rate	18.98%	29.61%	32.71%	–	21.98%
enroll rate	40.71%	19.93%	32.57%	–	35.17%
% of total applicants	71.25%	14.15%	13.07%	1.54%	100.00%

Average GRE scores – Computer Science

International Ph.D. admittees: V: 153 (62%); Q: 164 (91%); AW : 4.0 (48%);
Domestic Ph.D. admittees:      V: 159 (84%); Q: 163 (89%); AW:  4.6. (63%);
International M.S. admittees:   V: 156 (76%); Q: 165 (92%); AW: 3.87 (47%);
Domestic M.S. admittees:        V: 158 (79%); Q: 161 (85%); AW:  4.5 (72%).

Average GRE Scores – Economics

Our admitted students have, on average, GRE scores that average in the 80th percentile in the verbal, 94 percentile in the quantitative, and 5.0 or above in the analytical sections. However, there is no minimum score requirement for the GRE in order to apply.

A TOEFL score of at least 560 on the paper and pencil test or 220 on the computer based test is the minimum required. For the internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT), applicants must have a minimum total passing score of 87.

7. New College of Florida

New College of Florida has been a creative force in shaping the lives of more than 5,000 students, unleashing their talents and enabling them to become their “highest and best selves,” as one alumna put it.

New College relies on a simple formula: putting academically talented students together with highly qualified faculty members and letting them pursue subjects of mutual interest. With a total enrollment of 800-850 students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, New College offers a personal and collaborative learning environment, where faculty and students engage in in-depth exploration of ideas and subject matter, and where students have the freedom to chart their own academic course.

8. University of California, Berkeley

 

9. SUNY Geneseo

• Applications: 9,116
• Acceptance Rate: 45%
• Class Size: 995
• SAT:
  • Mean: 1333
  • Middle 50%: 1280 – 1380
• ACT:
  • Mean: 28
  • Middle 50%: 27-30
• Multicultural Students: 20%
• Male/Female Ratio: 43% / 57%

10. University of California, San Diego

Students

• 29,324 students (as of Fall 2011)
• 60,799 freshman applications for Fall 2012 admission (the second highest application rate in the UC system).
• Average admitted high school GPA was 4.06.

Fields of Study

UCSD offers more than 100 undergraduate majors in six disciplinary areas

• Social Sciences (38.1%)
• Engineering (20.3%)
• Biology (18.7%)
• Science/Math (10.3%)
• Special/Undeclared (6.3%)
• Humanities (3.3%)
• Arts (3.0%)

This concluded top 10 Public Schools that offer most bang for your buck.

Next – Top 10 Public Universities with Financial Aid