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UC Berkeley ranks high among affordable colleges

By Yasmin Anwar

UC Berkeley ranks high among the nation’s best deals in higher education based on criteria set forth in President Obama’s college affordability plan. The campus ranked fifth on the list of 100 colleges and universities identified by Affordable Colleges Online as most likely to earn top honors on Obama’s upcoming value scorecard.

“With President Obama’s system still in the planning stages, we decided to create our own rankings based on quantifiable value and affordability metrics,” said Dan Shuessler, founder of Affordable Colleges Online, a resource for college affordability and financial aid information.

The criteria were based on “value metrics” that included net price (tuition and fees, and grant and scholarship money per student), student loan default rates, graduation rates, student services, and starting salary after graduation.

The top spot went to the University of Virginia, followed in order by the University of North Carolina, the University of Michigan and the College of William and Mary. Affordable Colleges Online identified 100 colleges and universities most likely to earn top honors

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