Penn State is one of the country's colleges that provides the best bang for your buck, according to Kiplinger, a personal finance magazine that rated the university as one of the top 100 best value colleges in the nation.

Penn State finished 44th in an article titled "The Kiplinger 100 Best Values in Public Colleges," released in the February issue of Kiplinger magazine.

Potential students seem to support these findings. Assistant Director of Admissions Mike Stumbers said Penn State has seen another surge in popularity.

"At the moment we have more applications then we have ever had in our history to this point," he said.

Penn State spokesman Geoff Rushton said Penn State's popularity is based on a number of factors.

"It's a great combination of academic programs and a fantastic campus. We have a great research reputation," he said.

According to Kiplinger.com, the schools were ranked based on academic quality, cost and financial aid. Schools with high SAT and ACT scores, low admission rates and generous student aid packages fared the best.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill topped the list for the sixth consecutive time.

The University of Pittsburgh, ranked 37th, also made the list, along with Indiana University of Pennsylvania (40th), Millersville (52nd) and Shippensburg (90th).

According to Kiplinger.com, schools that made the top 100 offer "top-notch academics at affordable prices," but some feel that a Penn State education is not enough to support the high cost of tuition.

"Penn State is sucking our money out of us," said Danny Michelson (freshman-film), an out-of-state student.

Compared with the University of North Carolina, in-state Penn State students can expect to pay about $6,660 more per year in tuition, room and board and other fees.

Penn State does, however, have equivalent graduation rates. Eighty-four percent of University of North Carolina students graduate within six years, compared with 83.8 percent of Penn State students.

The University of Pittsburgh graduates only about 67.3 percent of its students within that time.

Rushton said he is pleased with Penn State's high graduation rates.

"A lot of students graduate in four years, and I think it's a good sign when students are coming to Penn State and staying through all four years," he said.

Nationwide, the average yearly cost, including tuition and other fees, at a four-year public institution is $12,796, while Penn State rates total about $20,244.

Jon McKeown (sophomore-film) said he is unhappy with the rising cost associated with attending Penn State.

"Tuition just keeps going up, and up and up," he said.

Rushton said tuition did increase by 5.6 percent from last year to this year, which translates to about $600 per student per year.

"This is the lowest increase we've had in recent history," he said.

He added that increases are necessary because of the rising cost of education throughout the country.

Jessica Mihalik (junior-anthropology) believes that, despite the cost, there is a lot to be gained by attending a large university.

"If you take advantage of all the activities, you can really get the most out of what you're paying," she said.

Erica Sperber (freshman-film) said she also values her Penn State education because its recognizable name carries a lot of weight.

"I think it's good because of all of the Penn State alumni you can get hooked up with," she said.

"You pay for the name of any college."