BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University ranks as one of the top 100 best values for public universities in the nation, according to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.

Kiplinger's is ranking WWU 74th in its February issue for Best Values in Public Colleges for 2013.

WWU was ranked No. 81 in 2012.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tops the list, while the highest-ranked college in Washington is University of Washington, at 17th. It was the only other school in Washington state to be ranked.

WWU has appeared on the list multiple times and was ranked highest among master's-granting public universities in the Pacific Northwest by U.S. News and World Report's college rankings for 2013.

Kiplinger's ranks colleges for both in-state and out-of-state costs, average student debt at graduation, availability of financial aid, class size, student-faculty ratio and other academic quality and financial considerations.

Find the ranking online at kiplinger.com/links/college.

Reach KIE RELYEA at kie.relyea@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2234.