COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (March 28, 2006) —Tennessee Tech University has been chosen for inclusion in Princeton Review's America's Best Value Colleges guidebook, which hits newsstands this week.

The appearance in the 2007 edition of the guidebook designates TTU as one of the nation's best college educations for the cost. The guide profiles 150 colleges with excellent academics, generous financial aid packages and relatively low costs. It includes 103 public and 47 private colleges in 40 states.

"Year in and year out, we offer access to higher education that students can afford," said President Bob Bell. "While offering this value, we continue to uphold our commitment to quality and service."

"We concentrate on student learning by enhancing students' critical thinking and real-world problem solving skills. Our alumni know how valuable a TTU education is as an investment in their life-long success."

This designation marks the second time in the past year an organization has recognized TTU as a "best buy." In September, TTU ranked as one of "America's 100 Best College Buys" in an annual report released by Institutional Research & Evaluation Inc. TTU's Distance MBA program also ranks as one of the Top 10 Best Buys in the country, according to GetEducated.com in its latest release of "Top 25 Best Buys for Online MBA Degrees."

In the past year, the Princeton Review also ranked TTU as a 2006 Best Southeastern College, while U.S.News & World Report listed the university as one of the Top Public Schools in the South for 2006.

The America's Best Value Colleges guidebook is distributed annually by Princeton Review and Random House publishers. Selection for the guidebook is based on factors including undergraduate academics, costs and financial aid. Editors reviewed a wide range of criteria, including tuition and financial aid figures provided by each institution, as well as the opinions of each college's undergraduates regarding their academic experiences and how satisfied they are with their financial aid packages.

Academic factors considered include the quality of students as measured by admissions credentials, as well as how the students themselves rate their academic experiences through a survey.

Cost and financial aid data are based on the price of each school's tuition, required fees, and room and board minus the average gift aid (scholarships and grants) awarded to students. Students are also surveyed about how happy they are with the financial aid packages and the service they receive at the schools' financial aid offices.

--Karen Lykins
This information posted 28 MARCH 2006