The Fiske Guide to Colleges has chosen Warren Wilson College as one of its 26 “Best Buys of 2009” among private colleges and universities nationwide, the fourth time since 2005 the guide has selected Warren Wilson for the distinction.

According to the guide, schools “qualify as Best Buys based on the quality of the academic offerings in relation to the cost of attendance.” With tuition and fees totaling less than $22,700 for the 2008-09 academic year, Warren Wilson is rated as “inexpensive” compared with other private colleges and universities in the selective guide.

In its narrative on the college, the Fiske guide says Warren Wilson “is flush with engaging little quirks. It promotes global perspectives, puts students to work on the campus farm, and makes service-learning a central part of the educational experience.”

The guide also notes, “Success at Warren Wilson is measured not only by grades, but by community service and a sense of stewardship.” It quotes a junior as saying, “Students come here for all different reasons and are allowed to shine in all different areas.”

In addition to giving the college high marks for its academics and social life, the Fiske guide awards Warren Wilson the highest possible rating for its overall quality of life: five stars, as opposed to the guide’s norm of three.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges, first published in 1982, has been called “the best college guide you can buy” by USA Today.