Bainbridge College (BC) was named by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the top 100 public, two-year colleges on its list of Lowest Net Cost of Attendance.

BC is one of only two Georgia institutions of higher education named in that category.

BC’s annual average net cost of $3,376 falls well below the national average for public, two-year colleges that was reported as $6,780.

“This is definitely positive proof that we are living up to our defining characteristic of ‘affordability’,” said BC President Richard Carvajal, as he shared the news and thanked the faculty and staff for all they do “to provide BC students with the wonderful opportunities they have to better themselves and their families.”

The aggressive focus on cutting costs by the college leadership and the BC community, combined with the low tuition policy set by the University System of Georgia’s (USG) Board of Regents, resulted in the low net cost to BC students. These positive results come even while the state has decreased funding to USG institutions.

Since the onset of the current recession in Fiscal Year 2009 that continues through Fiscal Year 2012 (the current year), per student state funding has dropped from $8,191 to $5,505, or almost 33 percent per student, according to figures from USG.

The Education Department’s report grouped institutions as public, four-year or above; private not-for-profit, four-year or above; private for-profit, four-year or above; public, two-year; private not-for-profit, two-year; private for-profit, two-year; public, less-than-two-year; private not-for-profit, less-than-two-year, and private for-profit, less-than-two-year.

In addition to the lowest net cost of attendance, the report also listed categories such as highest tuition and highest net prices.