Great schools at great prices: the staff at Careers & Colleges its picks of schools offering a great value - Paying For College

Careers and Colleges, Nov-Dec, 2003 by Don Rauf

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY, HARRISONBURG, VA

WWW.JMU.EDU IN-STATE TUITION: $4,458 OUT-OF-STATE TUITION: $11,642 R&B: $5,568 SIZE: 14,400

JMU, nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, boasts a large student population and offers amenities such as a thriving, active campus with top-notch facilities, including an amazing wellness center: Although many pro grams receive good marks, music and business stand out. The amount of undergraduate research in the sciences here has been cited as peerless.

KNOX COLLEGE, GALESBURG, IL

WWW.KNOX.EDU TUITION: $24,369 R&B: $5,925 SIZE: 1,120

Knox has a high price tag, but according to The Princeton Review, Knox ranks No. 1 for student satisfaction with financial aid. Founded by abolitionists in 1837, Knox is one of our country's top liberal arts colleges, and it has been hailed for its international diversity. The school stresses individuality and each student develops a personal educational plan with an advisor. Knox awards more than $200,000 annually to undergraduate research projects.

LAKE FOREST COLLEGE, LAKE FOREST, IL

WWW.LAKEFOREST.EDU TUITION: $24,506 R&B: $5,764 SIZE: 1,330

This small liberal arts school is a Princeton Review "Bang for Your Buck" school. With a strong record for awarding financial aid, Lake Forest is a picturesque setting for some serious study, only minutes from Lake Michigan and a quick 30 miles from bustling Chicago. Although learning in the classroom is superior with a 12 to 1 professor-to-student ratio, Lake Forest believes in a real-world education--it offers off-campus study options in Greece, Turkey, London, Florence, India, Japan, Russia, and other countries, and the school encourages community involvement (for instance, students teach in the local elementary schools).

MARLBORO COLLEGE, MARLBORO, VT

WWW.MARLBORO.EDU TUITION: $21,630 R&B: $7,425 SIZE: 330

You can't get much smaller than Marlboro and don't let the price tag fool you. The average financial aid package here is $18,542, and Marlboro is Princeton Review's No. 1 "Bang for the Buck" school for 2003. Considered a "nontraditional" path to a four-year degree, Marlboro lets students design their own academic programs. The top majors are literature, biology, and sociology. Skiing is a huge stress-reliever, but you're likely to find most students on campus studying or relaxing through some heated but friendly conversation.

NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NEWARK, NJ

WWW.NJIT.EDU IN-STATE TUITION: $4,250 OUT-OF-STATE TUITION: $6,934 R&B: $5,494 SIZE: 5,730

Whether you're from New Jersey or not, if you're a student interested in a engineering, science, technology, or architecture, NJIT is a great education at a bargain price. On this diverse campus, technological research is a priority, and students are expected to learn through some community service. The school is just a short 20 minutes from all the cultural offerings of New York City, but the campus itself is always presenting parties, lectures, concerts, and other social activities.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY, TUSKEGEE, AL