Princeton Review: UVA Advances to No. 2 Best Value Public University

UVA also flourished in three other areas ranked by The Princeton Review in yet another indication of the valuable return on investment a UVA education affords:

• No. 3 best value college for students who do not qualify for financial aid
• No. 4 best alumni networks in publics
• No. 4 best career placement in publics

“UVA is one of the very best values in all of higher education, and I’m delighted to see that The Princeton Review continues to recognize this,” said UVA President Jim Ryan. “We offer a world-class education with top graduation and career placement rates, an incredible alumni network, and competitive financial aid packages. More and more students and families from Virginia and beyond are looking at UVA as a great investment.”

The Princeton Review analyzed survey data from more than 650 colleges as well as surveys of students and PayScale.com’s surveys of alumni of the schools about their starting and mid-career salaries and job satisfaction.

Survey topics included academics, financial aid, cost, career services, student debt, alumni support and graduation rates. In the fall, U.S. News and World Report ranked UVA the top public university in the country in the category of graduation and retention. UVA’s graduation rate is 94%.

“We commend – and recommend – each of the 209 schools that made our Best Value Colleges list for 2023,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. “They share three exceptional distinctions: stellar academics, strong career prospects for their graduates, and affordable cost via generous financial aid or a comparatively low sticker price (or both!). For these reasons and many others, our Best Value Colleges are truly a select group. They comprise only about 8% of the nation’s 2,637 four-year undergraduate degree-granting institutions.”

The University is consistently lauded for its return on investment. Last May, for example, Money magazine ranked UVA the No. 3 best value among all public and private universities.

UVA has a long-standing commitment to generous need-based financial aid. The University’s financial aid program, Access UVA, meets 100% of undergraduates’ demonstrated financial need through a combination of grants, scholarships, jobs and limited need-based loans. It limits need-based loans to a maximum of $4,500 per year for in-state students and $7,000 annually for out-of-state students. Need-based loans are capped at $1,000 per year for in-state students with high financial need.

Expanding access and affordability are key components of the University’s Great and Good strategic plan.