UNC Asheville has been named a "Best Buy" in the 2010 Fiske Guide

As the 2010 college rankings begin to roll in, UNC Asheville continues to stand with some of the nation's finest colleges. The annual "Fiske Guide to Colleges" released its 2010 list of Best Buys of American and Canadian colleges earlier this month. UNC Asheville is alone among public colleges in Western North Carolina to earn a spot on the list. It is the 16th consecutive year that UNC Asheville has been named a Best Buy.

The Fiske Guide praised UNC Asheville as "one of the best educational bargains in the country," citing rigorous academics, small classes, internships, service-learning, undergraduate research and Integrated Liberal Studies, the University's enhanced general academic curriculum.

In addition, for the sixth consecutive year, UNC Asheville's Environmental Studies Department was named to the Fiske Guide's listing of preprofessional programs with "unusual strength" in preparing students for careers.

The guidebook says, "All the right ingredients for a superior college experience lie in wait at Asheville: strong academics, dedicated professors, and an administration that continues to push for excellence."

Professors drew high marks for their accessibility, passion and experience.

"The quality of teaching is awesome," said one psychology major interviewed by the guide.

Residence life, outdoor recreational opportunities, athletics, Founders Day, homecoming and Greenfest were among features commended for rounding out the college experience.

The only other North Carolina public institution named to the Best Buy list of 44 American and Canadian institutions was UNC Chapel Hill. Warren Wilson College and Elon University earned places on the private school list.