Princeton Review's 2012 Best Value Public Colleges

I recently posted The Princeton Review's top ten best value private colleges for 2012. On the public side, the 2012 top ten includes seven of the same names as last year. Knocked out of the top spots are Hunter College (CUNY), University of Michigan, and North Carolina State. Taking their places are the University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, and University of Texas. Note that the Princeton Review does not consider military academies (they're free) such as West Point and Annapolis when making the ranking.

For public colleges and universities, The Princeton Review's top ten best value colleges for 2012 are the following (click on a school's name to learn more):

1. University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
2. University of Virginia (Charlottesville)
3. New College of Florida (Sarasota)
4. Binghamton University (SUNY)
5. University of Wisconsin (Madison)
6. College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia)
7. University of Florida (Gainesville)
8. University of Georgia (Athens GA)
9. University of Washington (Seattle)
10. University of Texas (Austin)

For the third year in a row, California, which has the largest public education system in the country, didn't make the top ten. The state has struggled more than others to hold down costs in times of budget crisis.

To see the entire list of 2012 Best Value Colleges, check out the list at The Princeton Review.

If there are schools you think should or should not have made the list, please share your opinions below.