UM Makes Kiplinger’s ‘Best Values’ List for Fifth Year

State's flagship university among nation's Top 100 public institutions

The University of Mississippi is ranked No. 75 on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s top 100 best values in public colleges list for 2018. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications.

OXFORD, Miss. – For the fifth straight year, the University of Mississippi has been named among the nation’s best values in higher education. The editors of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine placed UM on its “Top 100 Values in Public Colleges” list for 2018.

The university was ranked No. 75, a jump of 13 spots from the 2017 list. It is the only public institution in Mississippi to be named a “Best Value.”

“We are committed to offering outstanding academic programs and to helping students succeed while keeping tuition affordable,” said Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our inclusion on this list, for the fifth year, is a testament to the commitment of our faculty and staff to meet these goals.”

Kiplinger’s process in naming Best Values relies on measurable criteria, such as student-faculty ratios, admissions rates, on-time graduation rates, sticker price and financial aid. Non-U.S. schools and specialty schools, such as military academies, medical specialty schools and art schools, are not included.

“Our rankings, which weight affordability alongside academic quality, are a great resource for students and their parents when sorting through college choices,” said Mark Solheim, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “We start with a universe of nearly 1,200 schools and trim the list using measures of academic quality.

“We then rank the schools based on cost and financial aid data. All 300 schools on our list are worth a look.”

For more information on the Kiplinger’s reports, visit https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-public-colleges/index.php.