For Immediate Release

Date: January 18, 2006

BLOOMSBURG—Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania made the top 100 list of the best values in public colleges, featured in the February edition of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. 

Landing at number 88, BU shares the list with schools such as Penn State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Michigan State University. Schools that make Kiplinger’s list are known for their combination of top academics and affordable costs.

More than 500 public colleges and universities were compared before the final list was compiled. Schools were ranked on measures of academic quality ranging from admission rates, student-to-faculty ratios, SAT/ACT scores, freshman retention and four- to six-year graduation rates.

After a school was ranked by academic quality, the next criteria focused on cost and financial aid. In-state tuition was considered, including fees, room and board and books. The percentage of need met by aid and the average debt a student incurs before graduation were also calculated before the rank was decided. 

Schools also received an out-of-state ranking. BU was ranked 68th for out-of-state students. The same information concerning academic quality was considered, as well as cost, using the out-of-state tuition. 

BU is one of only five schools in Pennsylvania that made the list. The University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, Millersville University of Pennsylvania and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania join BU on the list. 

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students and offers 65 bachelor’s, 18 master’s and one doctoral degree.