University presses occupy a unique spot in the publishing world because they are both in and of the academy. University presses are nonprofit units of the university (with just a few exceptions), so they know all about the joys and pressures of being part of a university. As mission-driven publishers, university presses will balance reach and revenue, and university press journals are usually more affordably priced. Publishing with a university press offers the assistance of working with a publisher, typically without the high-priced subscriptions or open-access processing fees associated with for-profit publishers.
—AUPresses Faculty Outreach Committee