The Princeton Review has recently released the 2009 100 "Best Value Colleges".  The Princeton Review is a company that is well-known in the world of standardized test preparation but also aims to provide readers with information about school admission and value. 

The "Best Value Colleges" list is compiled using more than 30 criteria which include academics, costs, and financial aid.  Included in the financial aid portion of the rating is both school-reported data and student surveys.  The list is separated into the Best Value Public Colleges and the Best Value Private Colleges.  Below is the Top 10 in each category.  For the full list, visit the Princeton Review Online. 

Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges:

1. University of Virginia (Charlottesville)

2. New College of Florida (Sarasota)

3. College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.)

4. State University of New York-Binghamton

5. Florida State University (Tallahassee)

6. North Carolina State University (Raleigh)

7. University of California-San Diego

8. City University of New York-Hunter College (New York)

9. University of Georgia (Athens)

10. The College of New Jersey (Ewing)

Top Ten Best Value Private Colleges:

1. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pa.)

2. Harvard College (Cambridge, Mass.)

3. Princeton University (Princeton, N.J.)

4. Rice University (Houston, Texas)

5. Yale University (New Haven, Conn.)

6. Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.)

7. Amherst College (Amherst, Mass.)

8. California Institute of Technology (Pasadena)

9. Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.)

10. Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.)