Binghamton University named fourth-best value among U.S. public colleges

Binghamton University is the nation’s No. 4 “Best Value Public” college for 2012, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company profiles Binghamton University in its newly-published book, “The Best Value Colleges: 2012” and on its website at http://www.princetonreview.com/best-value-colleges.aspx.

In its profile of Binghamton, the editors at The Princeton Review praise the school for its “top-tier academics and palatable sticker price” and in quotes from student surveys, the University is described as where students are ”saving money while also getting an amazing education.”

“We commend Binghamton University and all of the extraordinary colleges on our 2012 ‘Best Value Colleges’ list for all they are doing to keep costs down and/or offer generous aid to applicants with financial need – all while maintaining excellent academic programs,” says Robert Franek, Princeton Review senior VP/publisher and lead author of “The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition.”

“The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition,” subtitled “The 150 Best Buy Colleges and What It Takes to Get In,” features profiles of 75 public and 75 private colleges with detailed information about their campus culture, facilities and financial aid offerings. Of the 75 schools in each group, the top 10 colleges are ranked 1 to 10, and the remaining 65 are listed in alphabetical order. The “Best Value Colleges” list and information about the schools are also posted on a dedicated area of USATODAY.com, which has been the Princeton Review’s online publishing partner for this project since 2009. USA TODAY’s site features an exclusive database that allows users to view in-depth details about the schools by clicking on an interactive map. Users can explore criteria including cost of attendance and financial aid data, enrollment size, location and The Princeton Review’s analysis of why it chose each school as a “Best Value.”

The Princeton Review selected its “Best Value Colleges” schools based on institutional data and student opinion surveys collected from 650 colleges and universities the company regards as the nation’s academically best undergraduate institutions. The selection process analyzed more than 30 data points broadly covering academics, cost and financial aid. Cost and financial aid data came from The Princeton Review’s fall 2011 surveys of school administrators. Data on academics came from its fall 2010 through fall 2011 surveys of school administrators. Data from students attending the schools over these years included their assessments of their professors and their satisfaction with their financial aid awards.