Best Colleges for Your Money in 2010

Sometimes the best colleges are not always the best value for your money, but being able to attend a college that offers a great education at an affordable price is possible-- even during a recession. Recently, the Princeton Review released one of their many college ranking lists, this time noting which colleges in the United States are the best value for your money in 2010.

If your high school student is shopping colleges, make sure you take the time out to go over what you are both looking for in terms of a solid education, college tuition prices and potential financial aid and cutbacks the college might have in the future. Each of these factors was considered in creating the Best Value list by the Princeton Review. The following are five of the top public and private colleges for you to consider.

Rice University
Rice University in Houston, Texas is one of the more generous colleges in the country that does not consider a student's ability to pay upon application. Students from a family income of under $80,000 are given financial aid packages free of student loans and those students with a family income of more than $80,000 will have their financial aid met with student loans. The small campus is very academic and the students and faculty are very dedicated to their studies, with many of the top rated programs among colleges in the country.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
With more and more colleges cutting back their financial aid packages, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is going against the grain in maintaining and even increasing their financial aid packages to students. Even though it is a public university, the school receives a lot of state support so that it can maintain the integrity of the level of education that Chapel Hill has become known for. The college is competitive with top ranking public and private colleges and its students are the sole beneficiaries of this legacy.

University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is another one of few colleges that meet financial aid 100% all while keeping student to teacher ratios lower than the average university. Because it is a public university, the in state tuition is significantly lower than the out of state cost, but even then, the financial aid provided and quality of education makes this an affordable choice.

Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University sees more college students walk through its doors than any other college in Texas. The student body is huge, but that does not mean that it is not an affordable option. There is a lot of pride in being an A&M student and the traditions here run deep and there are many areas in education that A&M excels at and where students benefit from their choice of college. In terms of value, for the education, the price of tuition is reasonable and financial aid packages are generous and the college is great at working with its students.

New College of Florida
New College of Florida is not what most people think of when they consider a rigorous academic campus, but it is just that. Encouraging independent thought and study is what most colleges strive for, but New College of Florida actually delivers and encourages its students to participate in independent research and learning. If this type of curriculum is for you, the small class sizes and affordable tuition should be even more enticing.