Among public colleges, Binghamton University has been named one of the 165 best-value schools by the Princeton Review in its 2008 edition of its book, ‘America’s Best Value Colleges.’

The book was released last month and presents profiles of different schools throughout the country based on low tuition prices, academic programs and financial assistance.

The top-ranking schools are separated by two lists: the 10 best value colleges for both private and public schools, ranked numerically. The remaining schools are not assigned a number.

‘We are an excellent institution in terms of academics, in terms of quality of our students and in terms of innovative programs,’ said University President Lois B. DeFleur. ‘It’s a combination of excellence that cuts across the academic area as well as campus life.’

BU has made the list three out of the four years the company has published the book, but has never reached the top-10 ranking.

The Princeton Review is not the only institution praising the University as a top-notch school, as the U.S. News and World Report has featured BU on its list of the top 50 public universities in the nation since 1999. Since then, BU’s spot on the list has fluctuated by a range of more than 15 places ‘ although at No. 38, BU is now at its lowest position on the list since 1999, dropping eight places from last year.

DeFleur maintained, however, that the fluctuations not only depended on BU, but on what is happening with other schools in a given year.

‘A variation is to be expected,’ DeFleur said. ‘The main point is the consistency within the top ranking.’

Robert J. Morse, the director of data research at U.S. News and World Report, agreed with DeFleur, claiming that the fluctuations are likely to be differences in other schools’ data as well as Binghamton’s data.

‘There are two kinds of surveys. There’s a statistical survey that we ask for information about the school like admissions data and faculty counts and graduation rates and alumni giving,’ Morse said. ‘Then there’s a reputation survey or peer survey that we conduct and we send surveys to the president, provost and admission deans and this is a rating among other research universities.’

The surveys are sent out during the academic year and the list of the top 50 public universities is announced annually in August for the following year.

And another national company includes BU on its list of schools that make the grade ‘ Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges. This year, the report rated BU as the No. 1 public institution for out-of-state students in the country, and fifth for in-state students.

The rankings have fluctuated substantially since 2003, when BU was ranked at 24 for in-state students, and third for out-of-state. Last year, the University was ranked as the second best value for out-of-state students, and ninth for in-state students.

BU faculty and staff members seem satisfied with the ratings, but some maintain that such rankings are not the only factor prospective students take into account.

‘Binghamton has been consistently ranked among the top universities in the country and we know that reputation is important to many families,’ said Brian Hazlett, the senior associate director of undergraduate admissions. ‘But we also know that it is not the driver for top students.’

Hazlett cited a recent survey conducted by Lipman Hearne, one of the nation’s top marketing companies, which established that only 34 percent of ‘high-achieving students’ claimed such rankings as the top factor in their decision for a particular school.

But he also said BU does not just have the rankings, but also the educational means to back them up.

‘Fortunately for Binghamton, we have excellent academics which is the basis for our reputation,’ Hazlett said.

Regardless, BU administrators are pleased with the ratings.

‘I’m so proud because we’ve worked so hard to try to get people to know about our excellence,’ Defleur said.