Three So Cal colleges make Kiplinger list
University of California campuses at Los Angeles (UCLA), Irvine (UCI) and Riverside (UCR) made the annual Kiplinger's Personal Finance rankings of the top 100 colleges that give you the most bang for your buck. The schools "exemplify excellent academics while keeping their in-state and out-of-state costs to a minimum," according to the publication.
The publication, which announced a list Monday that will be published in the February issue, gave the top spot to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The school has claimed the top position for seven years running. Here's an exerpt from the release:
Although prices for public schools remain relatively modest compared with private institutions, annual increases continue to outstrip inflation. In 2007–08, the average total cost for in-state students ran $13,589, a 5.9% increase over the previous academic year, according to the College Board. For out-of-state students, total charges topped $24,000, up 5.4% over the previous year.
UCLA made the top 10 (at No. 10), with its $20,969 in-state annual cost, $40,037 out-of-state cost and $15,996 in average debt following graduation. UCI came in at No. 21. UCR was No. 99. The entire list is available on the Kiplinger Web site.