The University of Virginia always seems to fare pretty well in this review, but we have once again been ranked high nationwide based on cost versus value. … We start with data from more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, provided by Peterson’s/Nelnet, then add our own reporting. We narrow the list to about 120 schools based on measures of academic quality — including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and four- and six-year graduation rates, which most schools reported for the class entering in 2002. … To assess costs, we look at total expenses for in-state students (tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and books); the average cost for a student with need after subtracting grants (but not loans); the average cost for a student without need after subtracting non-need-based grants; the average percentage of need met by aid; and the average debt per student before graduation. … To determine out-of-state rankings, we run the academic-quality and expense numbers again, this time using total costs for out-of-state residents and average costs after aid.”

We all know that the John Paul Jones Arena is hugely successful and has brought lots of great attention and activity to Charlottesville, but it doesn’t hurt to have Sports Illustrated agree!

… BEST NEW ARENA: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, Va. The University of Virginia spent $140 million to build John Paul Jones Arena, which opened in 2006. The arena is a perfect size (capacity 14,593), includes state-of-the-art practice, training and academic facilities, and it blends perfectly into UVA’s stately campus. [From Tyler Hansbrough, Jonny Flynn shaped decade in college hoops – 2000s: The Decade in Sports – SI.com ] Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons