Appalachian State University is one of the nation’s 300 “Best College Values,” according to Kiplinger’s. According to the US Department of Education, there are over 4800 colleges and universities in the United States. Appalachian ranked 28th.
At first glance, you may suppose the naming is a burden the school will have to bear for not equally sharing opportunities with less-advantaged schools. On second glance, you will read, “The Best Value list is based on quality measures,” and assume it is just as well.
