(WEAU) - UW-Eau Claire has been named one of the 'Best Value Colleges' of 2012 by the Princeton Review.

The review's list includes 75 public and 75 private institutions, and UW-Eau Claire and UW-Madison are the only public universities from Wisconsin to make the list. The publication looks at academics, costs, and financial aid of more than 650 institutions across the country to create the list.

UW-Eau Claire Press Release

EAU CLAIRE — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has been named one of The Princeton Review's top 150 "Best Value Colleges for 2012" in the United States.

The Princeton Review's list includes 75 public and 75 private institutions. UW-Eau Claire and UW-Madison are the only public colleges or universities from Wisconsin on the list. The best-value-colleges list appears in The Princeton Review's new book, "The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition," as well as on dedicated areas of the company's free website and on the USA TODAY newspaper's website.

When creating its "Best Value" list, The Princeton Review, a New York-based education services company, looked at academics, costs and financial aid — using the most recently reported data from each institution for its 2010-11 academic year — for more than 650 higher education institutions in the United States. Student surveys also provided input for the academic ratings.

UW-Eau Claire is pleased at the national recognition for its efforts to provide its students with a unique, transformative learning experience at an exceptional value, Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich said.

"We at UW-Eau Claire have focused on creating a truly outstanding learning environment that includes many opportunities for highly individualized experiences that apply learning and transform perspectives," Levin-Stankevich said. "Our strong graduation rate and the success of our alumni continue to attract highly motivated students and faculty who are committed to excellence in undergraduate education."

Student quotes included in UW-Eau Claire's profile in "The Best Value Colleges: 2012" say the university is "a great all-around school while still being affordable," offering "a very good education for a very reasonable price."

Another student quote states that UW-Eau Claire "makes a high quality education accessible to those who could not typically afford one."

The Princeton Review profile states that "scholarships and grants are numerous, and often considerable, too" at UW-Eau Claire, quoting one student who reported that "scholarships offered secured my decision to attend."

The Princeton Review has included UW-Eau Claire in a variety of rankings in recent years, most recently in August 2011 when it named the university a 2012 Best Midwestern College. UW-Eau Claire was one of 153 schools in a 12-state region to receive the "Best Midwestern College" designation. In April 2011 UW-Eau Claire was included in "The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition" as one of 311 U.S. institutions of higher education that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in its academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.