BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University ranks among 300 institutions named in the 2018 “Best Values in Colleges” list published within Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Appalachian is listed 29th in Kiplinger’s list of “Best Values in Public Colleges” and 111th among all colleges.

The publication said it defines value as a high-quality education at an affordable price.

Kiplinger’s editors said they start with data from nearly 1,200 public and private four-year schools provided by Peterson’s and narrow the list to the top schools based on measures of academic quality, (including admission rates, test scores of incoming freshmen, student-faculty ratios, freshman retention and graduation rates), as well as cost and financial aid measures.

“The value of an Appalachian education is realized in ways beyond our very competitive tuition rates,” Chancellor Sheri Everts said. “Appalachian’s nationally recognized success with graduation and retention rates is evidence of the deliberate, thoughtful and data-driven work we do to ensure our students’ success and keep the cost of their college education low.”

Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Cindy Barr said 74 percent of Appalachian graduates are paying off their college loan debt as compared to the 46 percent national average. *

She attributes early success in the marketplace as one contributing factor to this high level of debt settlement. Within one year of graduation, Barr said, 86 percent of Appalachian’s 2015-16 undergraduate students and 93 percent of graduate students were employed or enrolled in postsecondary education. **

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About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.