The University of Houston has joined an elite group of nationally respected universities as one of the nation's “Best Value” colleges and universities, according to The Princeton Review. The University of Texas and Rice University were the only other Texas universities included in the list of the top 150 undergraduate schools (75 public and 75 private).
“We welcome this further validation of our commitment to student success,” said University of Houston President Renu Khator. “After previously being ranked No. 12 in the nation for graduating students with the least amount of debt, this news affirms that we are offering students a superior education at an affordable price.”
The Princeton Review has been compiling the annual list, which singles out undergraduate programs with excellent academics, good financial aid and comparatively low cost of attendance, since 2004.
In its profile of the University of Houston, the editors at The Princeton Review praise the school for providing “a quality education that will be long lasting and nationally recognized” and quote from UH students it surveyed who described the college as “helping students build an optimistic future.”
Robert Franek, Princeton Review's senior vice president/publisher and lead author of “The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition,” said, “We commend the University of Houston and all of the extraordinary colleges on our 2012 ‘Best Value Colleges’ list for all they are doing to keep costs down and offer generous aid to applicants with financial need – all while maintaining excellent academic programs.”
The Princeton Review selected its “Best Value Colleges” schools based on institutional data and student opinion surveys collected from 650 colleges and universities the company regards as the nation's academically best undergraduate institutions.
In August 2011, The Princeton Review included UH among the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education in its “Best 376 Colleges” publication.