18. Western Washington University



Bellingham, Washington

A short walk from downtown Bellingham sits Western Washington University, listed as one of Kiplinger’s Best Values in 2013. WWU touts its commitment to faculty availability, with a student-faculty ratio of 20:1 and only 2% of classes taught by TAs. Students are encouraged to customize their educational experience, through options such as the Fairhaven College interdisciplinary experience. WWU has operated on the leading edge of green sciences since it founded the Huxley College of the Environment in 1969. Student initiative led to the launch in 2005 of a quarterly fee (up to $7 per student) to enable the university to purchase renewable energy and fund student-driven energy projects. When they’re not saving the planet, students might relax playing one of more than 30 intramural sports, participating in 200+ clubs, or laughing with the Dead Parrots Society comedy improve troupe.

Net Price: $14,253
Ranking: 15th

16. University of California – Santa Barbara



Santa Barbara, California

Imagine attending classes on a campus situated directly on the Pacific Ocean, walking to class while the bells of Storke Tower chime in the background. It’s easy to see why 91% of freshman return to UC Santa Barbara. UCSB is home to 100 research units and 11 national institutes and centers like the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. The school’s research accomplishments earned it Leiden University’s ranking of no. 2 globally for “impact in the field of the sciences.” A student-faculty ratio of 17:1 means that you get more attention from UCSB’s award-winning faculty, which includes five Nobel Prize winners. Students who can bear to leave the idyllic campus may study abroad in one of 200 programs in 40 countries.

Net Price: $13,991
Ranking: 8th

14. University of California – Los Angeles



Los Angeles, California

UCLA is a top institution by almost any measure, and its in-state price tag makes it an exceptional value for those admitted to this highly selective school. UCLA boasts a 90% 6-year graduation rate and a 96% freshman retention rate. Faculty includes Nobel Prize winners and Fulbright Scholars, and they are very accessible thanks to a low 17:1 student-faculty ratio. The university is consistently found in Top 25 lists nationally and globally, and it dubs itself the “most applied-to university in the nation.” Host to 290 research centers and the world’s largest university media archive, UCLA was awarded more than $1 billion in research grants in 2011. Its engineering school is frequently listed as a top 10 program, and the School of Theater, Film, and Television has produced 29 Academy Award winners. The Los Angeles location has additional perks, too; the annual Bruin Bash festival often hosts star performers like Jay-Z.

Net Price: $13,686
Ranking: 1st

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