January 3, 2012 — The University of Virginia retained its No. 3 ranking for the sixth time in seven years in the "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" list, released today by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.

"As states cut funding for higher education and tuition continues to climb, the word 'value' becomes more significant than ever," said Jane Bennett Clark, senior editor at Kiplinger's Personal Finance. "This year’s top 100 public schools deliver strong academics at reasonable prices. We applaud these institutions for tightening their belts without compromising quality."

According to its press release, Kiplinger's assesses quality and affordability based on a number of measurable standards. This year, rankings were revamped to give more weight to academic value, such as the percentage of students who return for sophomore year and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include low sticker prices, abundant financial aid and low average debt at graduation.

The article says of U.Va.: "This elite institution not only has a competitive admission rate (33 percent), but also the highest graduation rate. And it stands out for its generous financial aid: U.Va. is one of the two schools in our rankings that meet the full financial need of enrolled students (the other is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Students who qualify for need-based aid pay an average annual cost of only $5,138."

For out-of-state students, U.Va. remained the No. 5 best value among public colleges and universities.

UNC at Chapel Hill was ranked first overall for the 11th straight year, followed by the University of Florida and U.Va. The College of William & Mary retained its No. 4 ranking. Rounding out the top 10: New College of Florida; University of Georgia; University of California, Berkeley; University of Maryland, College Park; University of California, Los Angeles; and the University of California, San Diego.

Other Virginia universities ranked in the top 100 were James Madison University, No. 28; Virginia Tech, No. 32; University of Mary Washington, No. 44; George Mason University, No. 50; and Christopher Newport University, No. 94.

  

Prince William County, Virginia ranks among the top ten of the wealthiest counties in America according to the latest U.S. census figures released September 22, 2011.

With a median household income of $92,655 Prince William is ranked ninth in the nation. Prince William was also recently named CNN/Money's No. 13 among all jurisdictions in the nation in job growth. This is up from the previous year when the County was ranked 17th nationally.

"This ranking reflects the pro-business reforms that the County has implemented," Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart said in a press release on Thursday. "We have made a concerted effort to attract high quality jobs to Prince William County and the results speak for themselves."

Prince William also just earned its third AAA Bond rating status even as Standard and Poor’s downgraded the Federal Government.

 

July 2011 was the hottest month in recorded history in Washington D.C. July 2010 had set a new record also, but this year the temperatures soared just over another degree on average to achieve an incredibly toasty 84.5F at Washington Reagan National Airport. That’s 4.7 degrees hotter than the new 1981-2010 normal or 5.3 degrees hotter than the old 1971-2000 climatological baseline. Also, it is slightly hotter than a normal July for Houston, TX and slightly cooler than a normal July for Dallas, TX. It’s like we were living in a whole different part of the country. 

As you might expect for a month like this, precipitation ran below normal, but only .7" below the 1981-2010 normal of 3.70" at National Airport. This puts our running deficit over 4" since January 1st.

　

While Washington actually saw the same number of 100-degree days this July compared to last, and both were extraordinarily hot, this one took the cake on pretty much every high-temperature metric. Of those three 100-degree days, one was a record for the date 104F on the 29th. That was the hottest we’ve seen in D.C. since August 17, 1997 when it was 105, and it tied for the 5th hottest all-time. Previously, the second of back-to-back 102s on July 23 also set a new record for the date.

Other notable D.C. area 100-degree plus stats for the month include the all-time record high of 105F at Dulles Airport on July 22. Although the records there only go back to 1963, no other day had topped 104 with the last occurrence in 1988. On the same day, BWI hit 106F. That was the highest on record at the current location, and one shy of the all-time Baltimore record of 107.

A fourteen day streak of 90-degrees or higher, which now carries on into August.

"ExxonMobil’s earnings reflect continued leadership in operational performance during a period of strong commodity prices. Earnings were $10.7 billion, up 69% from the first quarter of 2010, reflecting higher crude oil and natural gas realizations, increased refining margins and record Chemical performance."

Meanwhile, I am paying $4.00/gal. for gas which is almost 69% higher than what I paid for gas last year. Does not seem fair.

It's Spring, sunny and warm and I have not had time to post anything since Winter. Got to do a better job job in the future. Anyway, belated Happy Easter and Wecome Spring!!!

 

Favorite Books of 2010

1) The Autobiography of Mark Twain - Mark Twain

2) Washington: A Life - Ron Chernow

3) Fall of Giants - Ken Follett

4) The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson

5) The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson - Jerame Charyn

6) Clara and Mr. Tiffany - Susan Vreeland

7) America's Prophet: Moses and the American Story - Bruce Feiler

8 )  Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future

9) The Rembrandt Affair - Daniel Silva

10) Life - Keith Richards

1) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

2) Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away

3) Bruno Mars - Doo-Waps & Hooligans

4) The National - High Violet

5) Beach House - Teen Dream

6) Lissie - Catching A Tiger

7) Interpol - Interpol

8 ) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

9) Grace Potter - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

10) Warpaint - The Fool

11) Taylor Swift - Speak Now

12) Lost In The Trees - All Alone In An Empty House

Congratulations to the Virginia colleges making Kiplinger’s Personal Finance list of the 100 best values in public high education, based on in-state tuition.

The University of Virginia was ranked third, with the College of William & Mary right behind at fourth. These two schools have been in Kiplinger’s top five since 1998, and were praised for drawing high-scoring freshmen and having the best graduation rates. James Madison’s value was ranked 19th; Virginia Tech, 24th; University of Mary Washington, 26th; George Mason University, 61st.

Virginia truly does have some of the best colleges in the nation, at the best prices.