For the second year in a row, Tennessee Tech University has been recognized as one of "America's 100 Best College Buys."

Combined with honors as one of the Top Public Schools in the South as ranked by U.S.News & World Report and as a Best Southeastern College by The Princeton Review for 2007, the "best buy" recognition solidifies our reputation as a quality university that is also affordable.

"We are proud to continue giving students access to higher education by remaining an affordable choice," says President Bob Bell. "The value students receive here helps promote the life-long learning we strive to encourage."

The America's 100 Best College Buys report is issued each year by Institutional Research & Evaluation Inc., an independent research and consulting organization. The findings are based on the analysis and review of the group's 16th annual National College Survey. This year's report was released in late September.

As the report title indicates, only 100 colleges or universities are included in the listing each year. Eight institutions from Tennessee are listed this year, including only three public universities: TTU, UT-Knoxville and UT-Martin.

The research company compiled its report from a survey of 1,473 accredited U.S. colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degree programs and provide facilities for room and board. Of the institutions surveyed, 1,204 schools responded.

To be considered for inclusion in the list of 100, a college or university must also have had an entering freshman class in fall 2005 with a high school grade point average and/or ACT score equal to or above the national average, and an out-of-state attendance cost in 2006-07 for two semesters below or not exceeding the national average by more than 10 percent.

Our entering freshman ACT score matched the national average at 23, and our out-of-state costs were more than $4,600 less than the national average.
We recorded our sixth straight year of record enrollment this fall, with 9,733 students.

Campus officials cite the university's ability to combine top quality academic programs, a caring and comfortable campus environment, and low tuition costs as its keys to earning many recent accolades.