DENTON (UNT), Texas -- For the 14th year in a row, the University of North Texas has been named to the list of America's 100 Best College Buys®, compiled annually by Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc.

UNT's cost to in-state students is the lowest among Texas' three "best buy" schools. The other Texas universities cited in the report are Abilene Christian University and Texas A&M University. The average annual cost for an in-state undergraduate student who enrolls at UNT for 30 semester hours in a year and lives on campus is about $14,194, the least expensive of the three Texas schools named in the survey.

Troy Johnson, UNT vice provost for enrollment managemen, said the university "continually reviews its operations for improvement to maintain high quality academic programs while keeping the costs manageable."

He added UNT’s Timely Graduation Tuition Plan is saving students money and helping them graduate faster. Under the plan, full-time undergraduate students -- those who are registered for at least 12 semester credit hours -- pay the same amount for university tuition and fees during the fall and spring semesters, regardless of how many hours they choose to take each semester. Because the university tuition rate is separate than the state tuition rate, students must still pay the additional $50 per semester credit hour of state tuition required for every hour they take above 12 hours, as well as course-specific fees. 

The program was launched based on data that showed that students wanted a cap on university tuition and fees, Johnson said.

"More students are taking more hours per semester and our Timely Graduation Tuition Plan offers them a stable pricing structure at an affordable cost, " he said.

To be considered for the designation America's 100 Best College Buys®, an institution must:

• be an accredited, four-year institution offering bachelor's degrees;
• offer full residential facilities, including residence halls and dining services;
• have had an entering freshman class in the fall of  2006 with a high school grade point average and/or SAT/ACT score equal to or above the national average for entering college freshmen;
• have an out-of-state cost of attendance in 2007-08 for three quarters or two semesters below the national average cost of attendance or not exceeding the national average cost by more than 10 percent.

Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc. submitted survey forms to the offices of the directors of admissions of 1,468 accredited U.S. colleges and universities that met the above requirements. Of those surveyed, 1,152 schools responded.