Kiplinger's Recognizes UC San Diego as California's 'Best Value' Public University

January 05, 2011

By Christine Clark

Kiplinger's ranked UC San Diego 12th in the nation above UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine, based on its academic quality, affordability and financial aid resources.

The University of California, San Diego is the ‘best value’ public college in California, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

The list of the top 100 best values public colleges and universities will appear in the February 2011 issue of the publication. Kiplinger’s ranked UC San Diego 12th in the nation, above UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine, based on its academic quality, affordability and financial aid resources.

The magazine highlighted the challenges universities are facing from state budget cuts; however schools that made the list continue to “deliver an outstanding, affordable education in good times and bad,” Kiplinger’s stated.

According to the magazine, UC schools stand out for their relatively low average debt and impressively high six-year graduation rates.

“In our 50th Anniversary year, UC San Diego’s commitment to offering a world-class education that is accessible and affordable is unwavering,” said the university’s vice chancellor of Student Affairs, Penny Rue. “More than half of our undergraduate students benefit from the university’s myriad of financial aid resources.”

California’s budget cuts to UC campuses have resulted in a 51 percent decline in per-student funding over the last two decades. Although the university has been forced to raise fees as a result of state budget cuts, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance consistently ranks UC San Diego a ‘best value’ university. The rankings are based on admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, four and six-year graduation rates, cost and financial aid among a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities. Kiplinger’s full list of top schools can be found at http://www.kiplinger.com/.

In response to California’s current economic climate, UC San Diego launched the $50 million ‘Invent the Future’ (www.inventthefuture.ucsd.edu) student support fundraising campaign that will help fund scholarships and fellowships for all who need them.

Media Contact: Christine Clark, 858 534-7618, or ceclark@ucsd.edu