Kiplinger's top 100 public colleges -- Pick one!

One of the most obvious ways to save money on college is to go to a public college. But which one? Kiplinger's recently released its list of the 100 best value values in public colleges, based on average SAT/ACT scores for incoming freshman, the admission rate, the graduation rate, costs, percentage of costs covered by financial aid, and the average debt at graduation.

With about 75% of states boasting at least one college on the list, every college-bound high school student should take a look -- In-state students nearly always pay less.

If you're looking to save more money, one increasingly popular approach is the 2 and 2 method: Doing the first 2 years at a local community college and then transferring to earn a diploma from a 4-year college.

How much can you save? My local community college, Cape Cod Community College, shows that by doing the first 2 years at a community college and then the next 2 at a state college, you can spend a total of $18,556 on undergrad. That's a savings of more than $110 thousand versus doing 4 years at a private college!

Saving money on college gives you flexibility. You'll be able to go to grad school if you choose, and you'll be able to take the job of your dreams, not the one that pays enough to cover your student loans.