Not only do public colleges and universities offer the lowest prices for a college degree, but many of them also offer top-quality educations as well. 

US News & World Report ranked these as the ten best public universities in the United States for 2009. No surprise that the excellent University of California system is well-represented on this list. 

Here’s a cool tip: Move to an off-campus apartment during summer to establish residency and you might even have a chance at getting the in-state tuition rate!

10.  University of Illiniois - Urbana-Champaign
9.  University of California–San Diego
8.  Georgia Institute of Technology
7.  University of Wisconsin - Madison
6.  College of William and Mary
5.  University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
4.  University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
3.  University of California–Los Angeles
2.  University of Virginia
1.  University of California–Berkeley

I was watching MSNBC during lunch today and saw two people in the crowd waving black tee shirts. Upon closer inspection (as in, I put my glasses back on), I saw that the tee shirts said Got Tuition? and Make College Affordable. I later Googled both phrases and sure enough, there’s a great organization called Got Tuition?

Got Tuition? is a non-partisan, Washington, D.C.-based organization that is working to help make your tuition bill less of a hassle. Check out their site—lots of cool information and ways to get involved.

Nice work, Got Tuition? You certainly got attention.

Have you ever seen the commercials or print advertisements for Upromise? Just as some programs allow you to rack up frequent flier miles, Upromise allows you to shop to your heart’s content and rack up money for college instead.

Started in 2001, Upromise is a national program that allows consumers to earn anywhere from one to 25 percent on goods and services purchased from more than 600 retailers and more than 8,000 restaurants. Upromise also has a credit card that allows users to save up to 10% on groceries and dining out.

Sounds like a sweet deal to us. Are any of you already reaping the benefits of Upromise? Leave a post and share your experience with other CampusCompare users.