12:26 p.m., Feb. 22, 2011----The University of Delaware is among the nation's 50 "Best Value" public colleges and universities, according to a new list by The Princeton Review and USA Today.

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The list, "The Princeton Review Best Value Colleges for 2011," features 50 public and 50 private colleges and universities and was posted Feb. 22 on the websites of The Princeton Review and USA Today.

Only the top 10 in each category were ranked; the remaining 40 are listed in alphabetical order and unranked. Topping the public list is the University of Virginia, and taking first place on the private list is Swarthmore College.

In the UD profile on USA Today's website, editors of The Princeton Review write, “Delaware students benefit from a series of signature academic programs, including the First Year Experience and University Honors programs, and service-learning, study abroad, and undergraduate research opportunities” and cite “renowned engineering, science, business, education, urban affairs and public policy, and chemical engineering programs,” adding that UD is “one of only handful of schools in North America with a major in art conservation.”

The Princeton Review selected its "Best Value Colleges for 2011" based on criteria covering academics, cost of attendance and financial aid. More than 30 factors were evaluated, using data from the company's surveys of administrators and students at 650 colleges with strong academic programs. Most of the data came from surveys conducted from fall 2009 through fall 2010, with all cost and financial aid data coming from fall 2010 surveys.

USA Today's site features a database that allows users to view in-depth details about the schools by clicking on an interactive map to explore criteria including cost of attendance and financial aid data, enrollment size, location and The Princeton Review's analysis of why each school was chosen as a “Best Value” college.

The Princeton Review previously reported annual "Best Value Colleges" lists on its website and in its book, America's Best Value Colleges, published from 2004 to 2007. The company is also known for its college, business and law school rankings. They, too, are based on the company's surveys of higher education institutions and of students attending the schools.