OSWEGO — The Princeton Review and USA Today have named SUNY Oswego to their 2012 list of 150 “best value” colleges and universities in the nation.

The list of 75 public and 75 private institutions appears in the book “The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition,” released Feb. 7 by Random House and Princeton Review, as well as on USA Today’s website at http://bestvaluecolleges.usatoday.com.

Robert Franek of the Princeton Review said all the colleges on the list maintain excellent academic programs while also holding costs down or offering generous aid to students with financial need.

In its profile of SUNY Oswego, Princeton Review cites the college’s unique Oswego Guarantee, which promises undergraduates that their on-campus room and board costs will not increase during their four years of study.

“We do all we can to help make this experience affordable for students,” said Mark Humbert, Oswego’s director of financial aid. “We really are committed to that.”

The profile praises the college situated on the shore of Lake Ontario for its “picturesque setting” along with its “strong honors program,” “excellent study-abroad options,” and “wonderful connection to alumni” who help students find their way into careers.

Dan Griffin of Oswego’s Admissions Office said, “Of course, I believe SUNY Oswego’s wide range of academic and extracurricular choices, accomplished faculty, and spectacular lakeside setting make us one of the best institutions in the Northeast — having the Princeton Review agree is icing on the cake.”

The editors of the Princeton Review quote Oswego students they surveyed who described the college as “a great education for the money,” “friendly” and “helpful,” a place where everyone finds acceptance in the variety of student clubs and opportunities for involvement. As one Oswego student told them, “The greatest strengths are the extracurricular activities around campus. Very diverse and popular.”

According to the Princeton Review, it selected “Best Value Colleges” based on institutional data and student opinion surveys collected from 650 colleges and universities that it regards as the nation’s academically best undergraduate institutions.
 
Oswego is one of 15 New York colleges on the list including seven SUNY institutions: four of the public university system’s doctoral-granting campuses and two other master’s level colleges like Oswego — Geneseo and New Paltz.

Celebrating its 150th anniversary during this academic year, Oswego offers more than 100 programs of study in its four academic units — the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, and the School of Education.

The Princeton Review is a Massachusetts-based education services company known for its college rankings. SUNY Oswego has appeared in every edition of the company’s “The Best Northeastern Colleges,” and Oswego’s School of Business appears each year in its “Best Business Schools.”