News & Events

Fiske Guide Gives High Marks to UNC Asheville and its Environmental Studies Program

July 19, 2010

UNC Asheville is once again ranked among the nation’s top colleges in the 2011 edition of the “Fiske Guide to Colleges” published in July. The Fiske Guide calls UNC Asheville “one of the best educational bargains in the country.”

“This public liberal arts university offers all the perks that are generally associated with pricier private institutions: rigorous academics, small classes, and a beautiful setting,” says the Fiske Guide, noting that UNC Asheville provides all this for a fraction of the cost of a private college.

In addition, for the seventh consecutive year, UNC Asheville's Environmental Studies Program was named to the Fiske Guide's list of pre-professional programs with unusual strength in preparing students for careers. Students in UNC Asheville's program learn to address environmental issues through a multidisciplinary approach that includes biology, ecology, geology, chemistry, physics, economics, public policy, and other natural and social sciences. Undergraduate research is an important feature of the curriculum, and the Environmental Studies Department stresses on-the-job internships in organizations involved with environmental issues. 

The Fiske Guide also finds plenty to appreciate in UNC Asheville’s “picturesque mountain location in one of the most liveable small cities anywhere.” According to the Fiske Guide, “whether it’s the lush environment or the money you’re saving, the University of North Carolina at Asheville will have you seeing green.”

Earlier this year, UNC Asheville was ranked this year among the top 50 public college values in a survey by Kiplinger Personal Finance and in the “Best Value Colleges for 2010” from the Princeton Review.