UVM has moved up 13 places for in-state students and eight places for out-of-state students in a ranking of public colleges offering the best value. This year, Kiplinger Personal Finance has ranked UVM 59th and 77th for in-state and out-of-state students, respectively. Kiplinger assessed a total of 500 public colleges and universities to determine this year's top 100 for value.
 
The rankings are calculated based on an assessment of schools' academics and affordability. SAT or ACT scores; admission and retention rates; student-faculty ratios; and four- and six-year graduation rates are calculated to determine academic quality. Affordability is measured by total costs; the average cost after subtracting grants; the average percentage of need met by aid; the percentage of students who borrow; and the average debt per student borrower at graduation.

"Academic quality carries more weight than costs," Kiplinger writes of its rankings. The variables are weighted in the following manner: cost and financial aid accounts for 33 percent of a school's score; student indebtedness for 14 percent; a school's competitiveness for 22 percent; graduation rates for 18 percent; and academic support, 13 percent.

In addition to its overal rankings, UVM is 35th in the category of cost after need-based aid for in-state students and 23rd for four-year graduation rate.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is first in this year's rankings for both in-state and out-of-state students. Others in the top ten include the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary and the University of California, Berkeley.