RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY

PDT Staff Writer

The U.S. Department of Education has released its 2012 list of the the cheapest and most expensive universities in the United States and Shawnee State University in Portsmouth was not mentioned.

The local university was on last year’s list of the lowest net price public universities in Ohio, but it was also still among the top 5 percent of the most expensive public universities in the United States.

The net prices reported in this list are the cost of associated fees, books, and annual tuition for in-state, full-time students, after scholarships and grant aid. The national average net price for a public, four-year or more college last year was $10,747, and Shawnee reported a net price of $16,851. That cost placed the university No. 22 on last year’s list of the 32 most expensive four-year or more public universities in the United States.

“The report includes, among other factors, an estimate of a student’s personal expenses, including transportation. Last year’s report was based on 2008 data that we submitted. We overestimated transportation expenses in 2008 and adjusted our estimate the following year,” said Elizabeth Blevins, director of communications at Shawnee State University.

This year’s list was released this week, using more recent data, and Shawnee State University is no longer counted among those most costly universities in the United States. The local university also still offers the second lowest tuition in the state of Ohio.

The full list can be found at the 2012 College Affordability and Transparency Center online at http://collegecost.ed.gov.

Ryan Scott Ottney can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 235, or rottney@heartlandpublications.com.