Well looky here...

My alma mater turned up in the Top 10 on the list of public colleges ranked bast value for 2009-2010...still...I shudder at the cost of in-state tuition and wonder what tuition will be like for my munchkins when they reach that point. Kaia's only in 1st grade and Jaron starts kindergarten next year...still, the countdown starts...*shudder* What doesn't help was that there was a statistic when I was in grad school that a 4-year public school education would cost roughly $200K by the time the kids are ready for school...

*yikes*

You can find the list of public colleges ranked best value here and here for the private colleges.

8. University of Maryland, College Park

Undergraduate Enrollment: 26,431
SAT: 66 percent; ACT: 76 percent
Student/Faculty Ratio: 18
Graduation Rate 4-yr./6-yr.: 63 percent/82 percent
Total In-State Cost: $18,455
Total Out-of-State Cost: $34,392
Average Debt at Graduation: $20,091

University of Maryland, known for its engineering, journalism and computer-science programs, has risen to our top ten by keeping in-state costs virtually unchanged while improving on quality, especially in its graduation rates. Maryland also provides need-based financial aid to 50 percent of its students.