UT Martin, Union listed among Best College Buys

The Messenger 10.11.07

The University of Tennessee at Martin and Union University in Jackson are both listed among America’s 100 Best College Buys, a listing compiled by the independent research and consulting organization Institutional Research & Evaluation Inc.
The annual report evaluates academic quality and cost, with the newest findings based on the organization’s 17th annual National College Survey.
The research company, based in Rome, Ga., compiled its report from a survey of 1,468 accredited U.S. colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degree programs and provide facilities for both room and board.
Of the institutions surveyed, 1,152 schools responded.
To be considered for inclusion in the list of 100, an institution must be an accredited, four-year institution offering bachelor’s degrees and full residential facilities.
It also must have had an entering freshman class in fall 2006 with a high school grade point average and/or SAT/ACT score equal to or above the national average, and an out-of-state attendance cost in 2007-2008 not exceeding the national average by more than 10 percent.
“The University of Tennessee at Martin is among a very select group of colleges and universities across the country — both large and small, public and private — that offer students an academically superior educational environment yet charge the lowest possible cost,” said Lewis Lindsey Jr., Institutional Research & Evaluation president.
“UT Martin provides an exceptional opportunity to the residents of Tennessee and to students from across the United States. High quality and low cost will continue to draw the best and brightest students from near and far,” he added.
“We are honored to be recognized again as a Best Buy. This type of national recognition is an indicator of the value a UT Martin education offers,” UT Martin chancellor Tom Rakes said. “Our faculty and staff continue to ensure that students have an excellent learning experience while also keeping costs as low as possible.”
The listing among America’s 100 Best College Buys is the third major recognition for UT Martin in the 2007-08 academic year.
In August, UT Martin continued its top-tier ranking for master’s level public universities in the South in the 2008 edition of America’s Best Colleges, compiled by U.S.News & World Report, by tying for 20th place among public universities in the South that grant bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Also in August, UT Martin was named a “Best Southeastern College” for 2008 by The Princeton Review.
Union University’s average grade point average for entering freshman at the time of the survey was 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Its average ACT was 24. Annual costs for tuition, fees, room and board average $25,660.
“This newest listing by America’s 100 Best College Buys is further evidence of Union’s dual commitment to strong academics and reasonable cost,” Union University President David S. Dockery said. “We are pleased this independent research confirms what many parents and students are telling us during the admissions process.”
Other Tennessee institutions on the list are Belmont University, Lee University, Tennessee Tech University and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

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