The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has again been placed on the list of America's Best Value Colleges Thursday, compiled by the Princeton Review.
The 2008 edition of the guide highlights undergraduate schools that offer students an excellent education at an affordable price.
UW-Eau Claire is listed among 165 colleges — 90 public universities and 75 private institutions — that made the list after Princeton Review surveyed 650 school administrators.
"We're very pleased to be put on this list. We think we are a great value," UW-Eau Claire Provost Steve Tallant said. "We're very proud and pleased to be a part of this."
UW-Eau Claire is able to offer students generous financial aid packages because of their strong scholarship endowment, according to Kathleen Sahloff, director of financial aid at UW-Eau Claire.
Sahloff said students also receive aid from federal and state grants, private scholarships and tuition waivers.
"Sixty-five percent of our students receive some kind of financial aid — not just need-based financial aid, but that would include scholarships that are merit-based," Sahloff said.
Sahloff said the university takes many factors into account when determining a student's financial aid package, including student expenses, tuition, room and board, and transportation costs.
Tallant said UW-Eau Claire's ability to keep tuition low is due in part to the state's determination to make education affordable, as well as the fact that the university has very low segregated fee.
He added the university's dedication to undergraduate research explains why UW-Eau Claire was recognized on the Princeton Review list.
"It reflects the quality and quantity of the undergraduate research experience here," Tallant said. "It speaks volumes for our faculty."
UW-Eau Claire, Tallant said, prides itself on having very engaged faculty, as well as very small class sizes — courses rarely more than 100 students.
"We really are able to offer some transformational experiences that are usually only offered at private institutions that are very costly," Tallant said.
Students do not need to pay for a private school in order to get a good education, Tallant added.
