"It is indeed an honor for UNC Wilmington to be included on the list of the 50 "Best Value" public colleges and universities," said Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo. "UNCW always has been committed to providing our students with the highest quality educational experience at the lowest possible cost. This has become even more critical given the financial pressures many families face in the current economic environment. It's important that we help make a college education accessible for as many North Carolina students as possible."

In a profile of UNC Wilmington on USA TODAY's Web site, the editors at The Princeton Review said, "A big school with a smaller school feel, UNCW boasts a solid faculty that excels at the upper levels and isn't afraid to show their passion for the subject at hand. Ambitious students should shoot for entry into the Honors Program, which opens up avenues of education and opportunities that are otherwise unavailable to the general college."

Regarding cost of attendance and financial aid at UNC Wilmington, The Princeton Review noted, "The UNC system boasts one of the lower in-state tuitions in the country, a real bargain when coupled with the relatively high quality of instruction throughout the system. UNCW offers both need- and merit-based aid, with the majority of funds allocated to the needy. Need-based aid comes in the form of federal work-study, institutional employment, scholarships, grants and loans. An upcoming fundraising campaign is designed to increase the number and value of merit scholarships."

The Princeton Review selected these institutions as its "best value" choices for 2009 based on its surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private colleges and universities. The selection criteria covered more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs of attendance, and financial aid, using the most recently reported data from each institution for its 2007-08 academic year.

Said Robert Franek, Princeton Review VP-Publisher, "We have always believed finding the 'best fit' college should be the foremost goal for student applicants and their families. But the economic crisis and financial downturn have presented sobering challenges both to families struggling to afford college and to higher education institutions struggling to maintain their programs in the face of budget and funding shortfalls. We are pleased to partner with USA TODAY to present these schools for all they are doing to provide outstanding academics at a relatively low cost of attendance and/or generous financial aid."

Visitors to The Princeton Review's and USA TODAY's Web sites can access the complete lists of the 50 private and 50 public "best value colleges."

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, UNCW, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu