Princeton Review's Top Picks in Colleges . . affordability, academics and ease of financial aid . . .worth a read!

The Princeton Review rankings just came out and I'm happy to report that the University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland Baltimore County came out on top in terms of academics, affordability and financial aid awarded.  Other local schools receiving high marks were George Mason, James Madison, and Virginia Tech (my alma mater!)  University of Virginia holds the 1st place ranking and the college where my nephews and nieces attend, University of Central Florida, also ranked high.  This is a good site to research schools and the layout is very easy to use. The article that follows is taken from their website. But remember, the best school to attend is the one you can afford!

The Best Values in Higher Education
As college costs have risen dramatically in recent decades, it’s understandable that current students—and their parents—want to get their money’s worth. Today’s college shoppers search for schools that can provide an excellent education and, at the same time, minimize costs.

To augment this search, The Princeton Review’s annual “Best Value Colleges” list, published in partnership with USA TODAY, identifies schools with a commitment to both academic quality and affordability.

For the 2013 list—released today—we analyzed more than 30 factors related to academics, cost, and financial aid. We found 150 “Best Values” in higher education and identified the top 10 public and top 10 private colleges among them. (Click here for more info on how we did it.) Our number one public college is the University of Virginia; our number one private college is Swarthmore College.

Note: schools on the list with a high “sticker price” offset costs with generous aid to students with financial need. How much aid? Freshmen at the 75 the public schools in the book received, on average, a grant of $8,900. Freshmen at the 75 private schools in the book received, on average, a grant of $32,500.

Visit PrincetonReview.com for info on each of the “Best Value Colleges” and USATODAY.com for an interactive database of the schools. Also be sure to check out the companion book, The Best Value Colleges: The 150 Best-Buy Schools and What It Takes to Get In. This 450-page guide has detailed profiles of the colleges and advice for applicants on how to get admitted to—financial aid from—the schools.