UM makes best-buy list

UM is one of the nation’s 150 best-value undergraduate institutions, according to the Princeton Review’s 2007 edition of “America’s Best Value Colleges.”

The guide profiles 150 colleges with excellent academics, generous financial-aid packages and relatively low costs.

This marks the first time UM has been included in “America’s Best Value Colleges,” although the University has been profiled in the Princeton Review’s “Best 361 Colleges” for several years. UM is the only Montana college profiled in the new book.

“The University of Montana has all the ingredients of a happy college experience: friendly people, supportive faculty, a great sense of community and fantastic educational opportunities — all served up with a side of lovely scenery,” says the opening paragraph of the three-page UM profile.

“The academics are solid, the location is astonishing, and the price is right,” reads a quote highlighting UM’s profile.

The book’s publishers considered more than 30 factors to rate colleges. They credit UM for creative development of new, innovative programs, including scholarships. One such program, MPACT — Montana Partnering for Affordable College Tuition — is being rolled out this spring for fall semester. MPACT makes it possible for moderate- to low-income students who graduate from Montana high schools to attend UM with significant financial assistance.

UM is among 103 public and 47 private colleges in 40 states listed in “America’s Best Value Colleges.”