University of Montevallo graduates finish school with as little debt as students anywhere else in the country.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Montevallo third in the South and among the top-5 in the nation for master&8217;s-level schools whose graduates carry the least amount of debt.

&8220;This is significant,&8221; said Wayne Seelbach, provost and vice president for academic affairs. &8220;It&8217;s a compliment to how we provide resources for our students and to the resourcefulness of our students.&8221;

The percentage of Montevallo graduates with debt is listed at 38 percent, with the average amount of debt equaling $7,897. Seelbach attributes the below-average amount to scholarships, grants, &8220;affordable&8221; tuition and students&8217; work ethic.

Regionally, Montevallo was listed below Georgia&8217;s Armstrong Atlantic University and North Carolina&8217;s Gardner-Webb University, whose graduates leave school with $5,500 and $7,000 of debt, respectively.

The University has earned a number of other accolades in U.S. News & World Report&8217;s America&8217;s Best Colleges edition in past years. For example, UM was among outstanding institutions recognized in the 2006 edition and in 2003 was listed as a &8220;best value&8221; among institutions from across the United States