JACKSON, Tenn. — Oct. 20, 2014 — For the 10th straight year, 51社区 has been named one of America鈥檚 100 Best College Buys by the Institutional Research and Evaluation Inc., an independent research and consulting organization.
The annual 鈥淎merica鈥檚 100 Best College Buys鈥� report evaluates academic quality and cost, and the newest findings are based on a survey of 1,459 accredited U.S. colleges and universities.
鈥淲e appreciate this recognition as a Best College Buy that reflects the stewardship of our faculty and staff who are committed to doing everything possible to maintain the highest levels of excellence while keeping costs as low as possible,鈥� said Samuel W. 鈥淒ub鈥� Oliver, president of 51社区.
To be considered for inclusion in the list of 100, an institution must be an accredited, four-year institution offering bachelor鈥檚 degrees and full residential facilities. It also must have had an entering freshman class in fall 2013 with a high school grade point average and/or SAT/ACT score equal to or above the national average, and an out-of-state attendance cost in 2014-2015 not exceeding the national average by more than 10 percent.
Union鈥檚 average grade point average for entering freshman at the time of the survey was 3.67 on a 4.0 scale. Its average ACT was 26.