University of Arkansas Named One of America’s Best College Buys
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Arkansas has been named as the state’s only public institution in the 10th annual "America’s 100 Best College Buys." John Brown University, a private university in Siloam Springs, Ark., joins the U of A as the only other Arkansas institution included in the report.
"The issue of the increasing cost of higher education is nothing new to Arkansans, but each year the university strives to manage tuition and fee increases to provide a nationally competitive education at a reasonable cost to its students and their families," said Chancellor John A. White. "Consistent inclusion in publications like 'America’s 100 Best College Buys’ serves as an indication the university is meeting that challenge for its students."
The university joins eight other Southeastern Conference institutions in the annual report. The University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University and Vanderbilt University were not included in the publication. Other regional colleges and universities included in the report are the University of Missouri-Columbia, Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Kansas, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin.
"America's 100 Best College Buys" is published annually by Institutional Research and Evaluation Inc., an independent research and consulting organization located in Rome, Ga.
Data for the report is generated from research conducted between April 1 and July 31 during the company's 15th Annual National College Survey. The survey was submitted to the offices of the directors of admissions of 1,477 accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Of those directors surveyed, 1,044 responded.
To be considered among the best college buys, an institution must:
1. Be an accredited, four-year institution offering bachelor degrees.
2. Offer full residential facilities including residence halls and dining services.
3. Have an entering class of freshmen in fall 2004 with a high school grade point average and/or ACT/SAT score equal to or above the national average of entering college freshmen.
4. Have an out-of-state cost of attendance in 2005-06 for three quarters or two semesters below the national average cost of attendance or not exceeding the national average cost by more than 10 percent.
According to the final report, the average cost for a regular private institution and out-of-state cost for a public institution for 2003-04 was $23,830.
The report also calculates a national average high school GPA for entering freshmen of 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) and national average ACT and SAT scores of 23 (out of a possible 36) and 1092 (out of a possible 1600) respectively.
The final report estimates the average cost of attending the University of Arkansas (including tuition, fees, room and board) to be $11,985 for in-state students and $19,587 for out-of-state students. Incoming freshmen maintained an average GPA of 3.57, an average ACT score of 25, and an average SAT score of 1170.
Contacts
Charles Crowson, manager of media relations University Relations (479) 575-3583, ccrowso@uark.edu
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