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October 26, 2007
 

UNT one of three Texas universities named to America's 100 Best College Buys

For the twelfth year in a row, the University of North Texas has been named to the list of America's 100 Best College Buys®, compiled annually by Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc.

UNT's cost to in-state students is the lowest among Texas' three "best buy" schools. The other Texas universities cited in the report are Abilene Christian University and Texas A&M University. The average annual cost for an in-state undergraduate student who enrolls at UNT for 30 semester hours in a year and lives on campus is about $12,132 -- more than half the cost of the national average  of $26,190.

Troy Johnson, UNT associate vice president for enrollment management, said the university "has made a serious effort to maintain high quality academic programs while keeping the costs manageable."

He pointed UNT's recent rollback of an expected tuition increase. In June, the UNT System Board of Regents voted to cut from the increase of $8 per semester credit hour that the board had written into its 2008 fiscal year spending plan for the university. The board had approved the plan, which was expected to generation $5.2 million per year for necessary university operations.

After Texas lawmakers approved an additional $2.56 million for UNT's general revenue budget, the Board of Regents cut its designated tuition increase in half, which "is almost unheard of these days," Johnson said.

He added UNT has also introduced a new tuition plan to save students money and help them graduate faster. Beginning this fall semester, full-time undergraduate students -- those who are registered for at least 12 semester credit hours -- are paying the same amount for university tuition and fees during the fall and spring semesters, regardless of how many hours they choose to take each semester. Because the university tuition rate is separate than the state tuition rate, students must still pay the additional $50 per semester credit hour of state tuition required for every hour they take above 12 hours, as well as course-specific fees. 

Johnson said data showed that students wanted a cap of university tuition and fees.

"We have had noticeable increases in the average number of courses our students are taking," he said.

To be considered for the designation America's 100 Best College Buys®, an institution must:

be an accredited, four-year institution offering bachelor's degrees; offer full residential facilities, including residence halls and dining services; have had an entering freshman class in the fall of  2006 with a high school grade point average and/or SAT/ACT score equal to or above the national average for entering college freshmen; and have an out-of-state cost of attendance in 2007-08 for three quarters or two semesters below the national average cost of attendance or not exceeding the national average cost by more than 10 percent.

Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc. submitted survey forms to the offices of the directors of admissions of 1,468 accredited U.S. colleges and universities that met the above requirements. Of those surveyed, 1,152 schools responded.

UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Rafael McDonnell 940-565-4835
Email: RMcDonnell@unt.edu

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