UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AND FOUR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS RANKED AMONG AMERICA’S BEST COLLEGE BUYS--2000

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas and four private colleges and universities in Arkansas have been selected for the third annual America’s 100 Best College Buys--2000 .

Compiled by Institutional Research & Evaluation Inc., an independent research and consulting organization headquartered in Gainesville, Ga., the report lists 37 private and 63 public colleges and universities in 37 states. Only two states—Florida and Tennessee—had more institutions named than did Arkansas.

Aside from the University of Arkansas, the report cited Harding University in Searcy, John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Lyon College in Batesville and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia.

"We are delighted to see the University of Arkansas named because it confirms that our students get high value for the dollars they and their families invest," said Chancellor John A. White. "This value comes not only from the state and private support that off-sets what our students would otherwise pay, but also from the nationally competitive education they receive at an affordable price."

For the 100 institutions selected, the entering freshman class in the fall of 1997 had a grade point average of 3.16 on a 4.0 scale, plus an ACT score of 21 or an SAT score of 1065.

Survey data were gathered between May 8 and June 30, 1998. The survey form was submitted to 1,537 U.S. colleges and universities offering four-year undergraduate degree programs with facilities for room and board; 1,391 institutions responded.

The 1998-99 out-of-state "sticker price" cost for attending the100 institutions selected averaged $15,164, although all of the Arkansas colleges and universities came in under that sum. The out-of-state cost was based on tuition, fees, room and board.

"In the 1998-99 school year, students attending one of America’s 100 Best College Buys saved an average of $2,399 over the national average cost of one year of college," said Lewis T. Lindsey Jr., president of Institutional Research &Evaluation Inc. "It is amazing that these schools can consistently, year after year, deliver a quality college education at a cost that is within every student’s reach."

For the five Arkansas institutions, out-of-state cost was listed as follows: Lyon College, $14,936; John Brown University, $14,280; University of Arkansas, $12,135; Harding University, $11,978; and Ouachita Baptist University, $11,650.

This cost does not factor in the student aid in scholarships and loans that many students are qualified to receive.

"A college or university does not have to be expensive to be good," Lindsey added. "Prospective college students and their parents should not automatically think that to get a quality education they must pay a high cost."

###