SAN DIEGO -- Kiplinger's Personal Finance has come out with its Top 100 list of the best values in public universities.

It's a new quarter at University of California, San Diego and students can be proud of the fact that their university is near the top of the list of best public colleges when it comes to value.

"The reputation and prestige is what we know students and family members will look at," said Mae Brown, with UCSD Admissions and Enrollment.

The colleges and universities are ranked according to academic quality, cost and financial aid.

"Roughly 75 percent of our students are on some type of financial aid. Financial aid could be grants or scholarships, for example," said Brown.

UCSD is a premier university and is one of the most affordable universities in the entire country, and that fact is not lost on the students, 10News reported.

"For a bio engineer this is the number one school for me. At least that's why I chose to come here," said student Kanisha Pothul.

"A couple of the grants are based on your GPA from high school, so basically it's affordable if you worked hard in high school," said student Mary Wright.

"I think our tuition has almost doubled since (the) fall of my freshman year," said student Lori Hwango.

"It's expensive. All the budget cuts, all the stuff going on in Sacramento -- it's just ridiculous right now," said student Nadim Ariqat.

"I pay for half of my tuition, so I work during the school year to try and pay for tuition and I take out my own student loans," said student Nick Hein.

Topping the list of the 100 best values in public education are:

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of Florida
The University of Virginia
The College of William and Mary
The New College of Florida

Just out of the top 10 and the only San Diego college or university to even make the list is the University of California, San Diego coming in at 11.

"We are really proud of this campus -- we really are," said Brown.

For all 100 colleges and universities included on the best values list, click on www.Kiplinger.com.