"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.

For the ninth 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.

Earlier this year, Princeton Review rated UNC Asheville as a "Best Value" public college - one of only 75 institutions nationwide to earn this distinction - and listed the university among America's "green" colleges. In January, Kiplinger Personal Finance ranked UNC Asheville as one of the nation's 50 best values in public colleges. Last fall, U.S. News & World Report ranked UNC Asheville eighth in the nation among Public Liberal Arts Colleges, and Forbes magazine ranked the university 26th among the nation's "Top 100 Best Buy Colleges."

(Image provided by UNCA.)

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