The top school on the list returned to its perch for the eleventh straight year.

Kiplinger’s has released its annual list of best values in public colleges for 2012 — and once again, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is ranked first.

A relatively moderate sticker price, generous financial aid and a competitive admission rate are among the key attributes that make UNC numero uno, Kiplinger’s explains.

Here are Kiplinger’s top 10 public school values for in-state students, with total in-state/out-of-state annual sticker prices:

1.  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($17,628/$37,454)
2.  University of Florida ($15,526/$37,803)
3.  University of Virginia ($21,626/$45,948)
4.  The College of William and Mary ($23,054/$45,331)
5.  New College of Florida ($15,458/$38,487)
6.  University of Georgia ($19,258/$37,468)
7.  University of California Berkeley ($29,027/$51,905)
8.  University of Maryland ($19,409/$36,780)
9.  University of California, Los Angeles ($28,174/$51,052), and
10. University of California, San Diego ($26,232/$49,110).

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Should a school costing more than $50,000 a year be included on a “best value” list? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Tags: best values, public colleges, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill