MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Two of our state’s public colleges are being recognized as some of the best, in terms of value, in the nation.

The Kiplinger’s Personal Finance announced its list of the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2011, recognizing the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities at No. 52 and the University of Minnesota-Morris at No. 87.

The list ranks the 100 schools that both exemplify impressive academics and still keep their in-state and out-of-state tuition costs low.

The full story appears in the February issue of Kiplinger’s, along with the rest of the rankings.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill took the No. 1 spot on the list, followed by the University of Florida.

Kiplinger’s says the average annual in-state cost of a public college is $16,140 — nearly one-fifth of the Top 100 charge less than the average.