Parents and students are facing the daunting possibility of astronomical costs and years of debt as they shop for colleges this fall. With that in mind, "The Fiske Guide to Colleges," has released its 2008 list of Best Buys among American and Canadian colleges. UNC Asheville is alone among public colleges in Western North Carolina to earn a spot on the list. It is the 14th 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.

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."

In addition, UNC Asheville’s professors drew high marks for their accessibility, passion and experience.

"I don’t think I can voice how awesome the teaching has been during my four years here," said one senior interviewed by the guide. "They make class interesting and are always helping students outside of class."

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 was UNC Chapel Hill. Warren Wilson College and Elon University earned places on the private school list.

Earlier this week, UNC Asheville was also named to the Princeton Review's "The Best 366 Colleges." The University received special recognition in this guidebook, ranking number 18 among all profiled schools for students satisfied with their financial aid packages.