10 Best Public College Values, 2014

We rank Kiplinger's top 100 public colleges and universities based on measures of academic quality and affordability -- among them, low student-faculty ratios, high graduation rates, reasonable price tags and rich financial aid, including need-based aid (grants, not loans) for students who qualify.

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We rank Kiplinger's top 100 public colleges and universities based on measures of academic quality and affordability -- among them, low student-faculty ratios, high graduation rates, reasonable price tags and rich financial aid, including need-based aid (grants, not loans) for students who qualify. These ten schools are the cream of the crop of that already-elite list.

In 2014, tuition increases are slowing for in-state students at public colleges, but faltering financial aid means that the net price -- what students actually pay -- increased this year by almost 2%. But staying in-state remains an effective way to keep college costs down. The average total in-state cost this year, at $18,391, is nearly half the $31,701 price of studying out of state.

Our rankings are based on in-state costs. These top 10 schools range from small colleges to immense flagship universities, but they have one thing in common: They all deliver the most academic bang for your buck. Take a look.

Former Staff Writer, Kiplinger's Personal Finance