UNC Asheville Named a Best Buy in the
Fiske Guide to Colleges

UNC Asheville has been named a "Best Buy" among American and Canadian colleges in the well-respected guidebook, The Fiske Guide to Colleges, published in late July. In the guidebook's 2004 edition, UNC Asheville is among 44 colleges and universities, 22 public and 22 private, that qualify as offering "remarkable educational opportunities at a relatively modest cost." This is the 10th consecutive year that UNCA has made the Best Buy list.

The guide gives high marks to UNCA's rigorous academics, including the demanding core curriculum, the nationally recognized Humanities Program, and the Undergraduate Research Program, noting that nearly half of UNCA's students pursue their own research. UNCA's professors earn praise from students for their accessibility, passion and experience, the guide notes. Other pluses include a strong athletics program and ample outdoor recreation opportunities.

UNC Chapel Hill is the only other institution, public or private, in North Carolina to be named a best buy. Other colleges and universities on Fiske's 2004 Best Buys roster include the University of Virginia, St. John's College, College of William and Mary, University of Wisconsin-Madison, New College of Florida, Mary Washington College, Rice University, Rhodes College, Case Western Reserve University, Grinnell College, and University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign.

Media Contacts:

• Merianne Epstein, UNCA Public Information Director, 828/251-6676