UC Office of the President
Eight University of California campuses were among Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine's top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2013.
The magazine looked at various measures of academic quality — including test scores and four-year graduation rates — as well as affordability to create its rankings.
Under the heading, "California schools rule," Kiplinger's report found that despite recent tuition increases, UC campuses remain a top value because they offer a strong mix of rigorous academic standards coupled with robust financial aid.
"Why do California schools keep earning top marks in our rankings? Academics are key," Kiplinger's said, noting that many of UC's entering freshman earned top SAT scores, and many students don't pay full tuition under UC's financial aid policies.
"If you meet the requirements at the University of California, we have generous aid packages," UC system spokeswoman Dianne Klein told Kiplinger. "Nearly half of our students don't pay any tuition at all."
