PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest top ten list of America's "best value" colleges includes two from Florida.
New College of Florida in Sarasota was ranked number three and the University of Florida checked in at number seven.
The University of North Florida, which hosted a GOP presidential debate last month, also made the best values overall list.
UNF SLIDESHOWS: UNF GOP DEBATE 1 | UNF GOP DEBATE 2
"UNF has been recognized by some very elite organizations and is showing up on nearly every national college ranking," said UNF President John Delaney. "In addition to the University's strong academic programs, UNF just makes financial sense and has one of the lowest tuition rates in the country."
The Princeton Review's annual list includes several with the highest sticker prices in the nation, according to a new ranking released Monday.
Among the schools with large tuitions that are nonetheless considered top-value colleges are Williams and Swarthmore. The list is considered a guide for prospective college applicants to seek out the best value for their money.
"We're very quick to say it can't just be a low sticker price," Best Value Colleges lead author Robert Franek says. "The commitment has to be much deeper than that."
The key issue is whether institutions can keep costs down while raising the quality of their education, says John Roush, president of Centre College in Danville, Ky., one of 150 schools listed in the guide, released exclusively to USA TODAY.
Centre's comprehensive tuition is about $40,000 for a full-time undergraduate living on campus. That's slightly below the national average reported by the non-profit College Board this year for private colleges. With need-based grants averaging $24,000, many families pay far less.
Explore the top 150 schools
In the national debate about college affordability, value has become a central theme. President Obama brought it up in a speech last month. It came up in a Senate hearing last week. And it's high on the agenda when higher education leaders gather.
This year's Best Value Colleges list, which features 75 public and 75 private colleges, was drawn from data from 650 colleges. Selections were based on academics, cost of attendance and gift aid. The online database includes financial details for each college, such as the average need-based aid awarded, the average amount borrowed and the percentage of students who borrow. A companion book released Monday, The Best Value Colleges 2012, includes more details, including four-year and six-year graduation rates.
Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan, a Best Value public college, says her school spends more than $300 million in undergraduate financial aid so students can focus on their studies rather than their pocketbooks.
USA Today