With
University of Maryland College Park at leading the way, five Maryland universities have made it on to Kilplinger's list of "Best Values in Public Colleges." The annual list, included in the magazine's February issue, gives the lowdown on the top 100 schools that give students - and their cash-strapped parents - the most for their hard earned loot in this fractious economy.
Joining College Park on the list were:
St. Mary's College,
Salisbury University,
University of Maryland, Baltimore County and
Towson University.
Here's an excerpt:
"Over the past few years, the University of Maryland at College Park has made its way with tortoise-like tenacity (and hare-like speed) into our top ten, jumping from number 28 in February 2008 to number 8 in 2010. This flagship institution, known for its engineering, journalism and computer-science programs (and, of course, its terrapin mascot), has risen to the top by keeping in-state costs virtually unchanged while improving on quality, especially in its graduation rates.
That success comes largely from an ongoing campaign to reduce waste and boost efficiency, including the efficiency with which students collect a degree. The university spends thousands more than it charges to educate in-staters, says President Dan Mote, making perennial students costly to both their parents and the university. "It's a lose-lose situation," says Mote. To keep the kids on track, the university has boosted counseling, encouraged students to settle on a major and insisted that they take full course loads. Says Mote, "We told them that it's time to achieve.""
Read the entire article here.