University of Massachusetts Amherst wins award for best value in public colleges for eighth year straight

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has earned a ranking among the "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" from Kiplinger for the eighth year in a row.

The list is issued in the Personal Finance magazine every year, which finds the schools with the best education for the most reasonable economic value, using information from more than 600 public four-year schools, though only a fraction of the institutions make the final list.

The cost comprises 45 percent and the quality of the education comprises the remaining 55 percent, for the final ranking.

In order to find the academic standing of the school, Kiplinger examines SAT and ACT scores, admission and retention rates, as well as student-faculty ratios, four-year graduation rates, six-year graduation rates and the percentages of students who return in their second year.

Finding the economic quality, Kiplinger looks into total expenses for in-state students, tuition, room, board, books, mandatory fees and other fees. The cost for students with needs -- after subtracting grants versus the cost for students without need, after subtracting non-need-based grants -- is also taken into consideration for the final rankings each year.

University of Massachusetts Amherst is proud of its ability to consistently provide high-quality, affordable education to students.