Wanting to get the most value for your money is nothing new. During hard economic times, most people want to stretch each dollar to its maximum potential. This is especially true whenever talking about a big expense, such as the cost of a college education.

Unfortunately, individual families aren’t the only ones who need help, state schools are also facing troubled times. Higher unemployment means less taxes being paid, and a higher demand for state services. Higher education budgets have been cut. According to Yahoo! Finance, “Universities that once relied on the income from fat endowments have yet to recoup multimillion-dollar losses to their portfolios. Families continue to apply for financial aid in record numbers. Meanwhile, enrollment at state institutions has spiked as more students go public and more people overall seek college degrees.”

While tuition has been on the rise, the quality of many of these schools has suffered. Public universities have cut operating costs which leads to bigger classrooms, part-time instructors, and limited enrollments.

Yahoo! Finance has put together a list of the “Best Value in Public Colleges 2009 – 2010.” My alma mater, University of Maryland, made the list! Along with some other really good schools, such as UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, and William and Mary, schools that are known as the ”Public Ivies.”  Here it is:

1. University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
2. University of Florida
3. University of Virginia
4. College of William & Mary (Va.)
5. Binghamton University
6. University of Georgia
7. University of Washington
8. University of Maryland, College Park
9. SUNY Geneseo
10. North Carolina State University

With California’s 15 percent mid-year tuition hike and the expected second hike of 15 percent coming this summer, it is no surprise that most of these schools are on the east coast.  Read the full article.