The Princeton Review and USA TODAY Present 'The Princeton Review's 100 Best Value Colleges for 2010'

U-Virginia #1 "Best Value Public College"/ Swarthmore #1 "Best Value Private College"

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Jan 12, 2010, 06:00 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For the second consecutive year, The Princeton Review (Nasdaq: REVU), one of America's most widely known education services and test-prep companies, has teamed up with USA TODAY, the nation's most widely read print newspaper, to present a list of the 100 "Best Value Colleges" of the year.

"The Princeton Review 100 Best Value Colleges for 2010" list features 50 public and 50 private colleges and universities and is reported today on the two companies' websites at www.princetonreview.com/best-value-colleges.aspx and www.BestValueColleges.usatoday.com.

In each category, ten schools are named as the top ranking "Best Value" colleges: University of Virginia (Charlottesville) is the #1 "Best Value Public College" and Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA) is the #1 "Best Value Private College." (The two top 10 lists follow.)

The Princeton Review selected these institutions as its "Best Value" choices for 2010 based on its surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private colleges and universities. The selection criteria covered more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs of attendance, and financial aid, using the most recently reported data from each institution for its 2008-09 academic year.

Said Robert Franek, Princeton Review SVP-Publisher, "We know many families and students have serious concerns about paying for college in these tough economic times. Among the nearly 16,000 respondents to our 2009 'College Hopes and Worries Survey,' of college applicants and parents, 85% said financial aid would be 'very necessary' for them this year. However there are many first-rate institutions offering outstanding academics at a relatively low cost of attendance and/or generous financial aid, including some that may surprise applicants. We're pleased to have again teamed up with USA TODAY to identify and commend the 100 colleges that do just that and do it best in the nation."

The Princeton Review "Top 10 Best Value Private Colleges for 2010" are:

1. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA)

2. Harvard College (Cambridge, MA)

3. Wesleyan College (Macon, GA)

4. Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)

5. Yale University (New Haven, CT)

6. Williams College (Williamstown, MA)

7. Rice University (Houston, TX)

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

9. Amherst College (Amherst, MA)

10. Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)

The "Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges for 2010" are:

1. University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)

2. City University of New York – Hunter College (New York, NY)

3. New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL)

4. Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)

5. University of Colorado (Boulder, CO.)

6. State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton, NY)

7. Univ. of Georgia (Athens, GA)

8. Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)

9. Texas A & M University (College Station, TX)

10. University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)

Visitors to The Princeton Review's and USA TODAY's websites can access the complete lists of the 50 private and 50 public "best value colleges" and get additional information about the colleges. Only the top 10 schools on each list are ranked: the remaining 40 are alphabetically listed. USA TODAY's website, (www.BestValueColleges.usatoday.com) features a database that allows users to view in-depth details about the schools. By clicking on an interactive map, visitors can explore criteria including cost of attendance and financial aid data, enrollment size, and The Princeton Review's analysis of why each school was chosen as a "Best Value" college.

This is the second consecutive year that The Princeton Review has teamed with USA TODAY on this project. From 2004 to 2007, The Princeton Review reported annual "best value" public and private colleges lists (and top 10 ranking schools in each category) on its website and in its book, America's Best Value Colleges.

About The Princeton Review:

The Princeton Review, an education services company based in Framingham, MA, is known for its test-prep courses, college and graduate school admission services, books, and education programs. The company is also known for its annual college, business and law school rankings reported on its website and in its books in several categories based on surveys it conducts of higher education institutions and of students attending the schools. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University or ETS.

About USA TODAY:

USA TODAY was founded in 1982 with a mission to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its flagship newspaper and popular Web site, USA TODAY engages the national conversation and connects readers online through social media applications. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with a total average daily print circulation of nearly 1.9 million, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper Web site which launched in 1995, reach a combined 6.1 million readers daily. The USA TODAY news and information brand also includes: USA TODAY Education, USA TODAY LIVE, USA TODAY Mobile, and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

Web sites:

http://www.princetonreview.com/best-value-colleges.aspx

http://www.BestValueColleges.usatoday.com

NOTE TO EDITORS: Robert Franek, SVP/Publisher, The Princeton Review is available for interviews. List of the 100 Best Value Colleges by state is available at: http://www.princetonreview.com/best-value-colleges.aspx.

Contact: Princeton Review's Harriet Brand, 212-874-8282 ext 1091, [email protected].

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SOURCE The Princeton Review