UNH Today

The University of New Hampshire offers one of the 10 best values in the country among public universities and the No. 1 value among public universities in New England, according to the new Best Value Schools rankings of National Universities released by U.S. News & World Report.

UNH climbed into the No. 10 spot among public universities in the national universities classification this year, up three positions from its ranking in each of the last two years.

The news marks continued progress toward UNH’s goal to be one of the nation’s top 25 public universities in the most important measures of academic performance. President Jim Dean led the university in launching a UNH-wide strategic plan in 2019, and value is one of nine metrics used to track progress toward the top 25 goal.

“As a public university, providing a quality education at a reasonable cost is central to our mission, so we particularly welcome this recognition,” Dean says. “This metric combines the value of a UNH education with the actual cost to students after scholarships and financial aid, and we are thrilled to be considered a national leader among public universities in this area. We continue to strive to make a UNH education a rewarding and fulfilling experience for every student who becomes part of the Wildcat community.”

UNH offered financial assistance to 88% of first-year students through need-based aid and scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year, awarding more than $266 million in total scholarships and financial aid. The university has simplified the merit scholarship process for incoming students, all of whom are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on GPA when applying, without the need for additional applications.

UNH’s innovative Granite Guarantee also makes a UNH education tuition-free for up to four years for Pell Grant-eligible New Hampshire students.

Those scholarships and aid packages open the door to more than 200 degree programs, 250 study abroad and study away programs and 200 student clubs and organizations, along with unlimited internship and career and professional success experiences.

“We are committed to offering a singular experience to every student at UNH that delivers results far exceeding the investment they’ve made,” Dean says.