No doubt about it, Kiplinger's Personal Finance likes UNC-Chapel Hill. For the tenth straight year the consumer magazine ranks the campus No. 1 in the nation for educational value. Value, in this listing, comes from a combination of affordability (with Chapel Hill's charges for in-state students now a bit higher than the national public-university average) and academics (highly selective admissions, etc.). So if you get in, you get good value, says Kiplinger.
Not much new there, fortunately. It's noteworthy, though, that other UNC system schools fare well too - N.C. State is 15th nationally, UNC Wilmington 27th and Appalachian State 35th. The UNC School of the Arts and UNC Asheville also rate in the top 58. That speaks to a deep commitment by the state and its taxpayers to solid, reasonably priced educational opportunities across North Carolina. Hard times now threaten that historic accomplishment. The legislature, in making its budget choices, must not forget overall value.
