NEW YORK — According to

The Princeton Review,

the nation's No. 1 "Best Value" college is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Amherst College in Massachusetts is rated No. 2, followed by City University of New York's Brooklyn College.

The Princeton Review ranking list is published in a book, "America's Best Value Colleges," which profiles 77 schools the education services company chose for their outstanding academics, low-to-moderate tuition and fees, and generous financial-aid packages.

The Princeton Review

compiled the list and book based on quantitative and qualitative data it obtained from administrators at more than 500 colleges and surveys of students attending them.

UNC's trustees recently approved an instate tuition hike that made news and caused concern among students. But apparently, the price remains right.

"Our methodology was complex," said Robert Franek, assistant vice president of the

Princeton Review.

"We identified over 30 factors by which we rated colleges in three categories: academics, tuition, and tuition GPA (the school's sticker price minus the average amount students receive in gift-aid scholarships and grants.) The 77 schools that met our criteria are all great education deals. We recommend them to students and parents seeking the best academic bang for their buck."

Other schools in the top-10 list are:

The book profiles public and private colleges and universities in 35 states and Washington, D.C., and includes advice on applying to the colleges for admission and financial aid.