Best Value U.S. Colleges
CollegeSimply ranks 1045 four-year colleges by value: academic quality from our Best Colleges ranking weighed against the average net price students actually pay. Low sticker price alone does not mean good value. These schools deliver strong outcomes relative to what families pay after financial aid.
Princeton University leads our 2027 value rankings with a 10 out of 10 academic rating and an average net price of $15,313. The top value public university is University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Also high value: California Institute of Technology, Williams College and Harvard University.
Compare net price, aid, and academic ratings across the full list below. See how value scores are calculated on our methodology page. Filter by state or sort by cost to find affordable schools worth applying to.
Bridgewater State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bridgewater, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Bridgewater State is a public university known for undergraduate education and aviation science. The campus is set in the small town of Bridgewater in southeastern Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1060-1263
- Avg GPA 3.21
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,646
Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Wentworth is a private institute of technology known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and design. The urban campus sits in Boston's Fenway neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1110-1320
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $35,604
Winona State University
- Public 4 Year
- Winona, MN
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Winona State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits along the Mississippi River in Minnesota's bluff country.
- SAT Range 980-1250
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $18,289
Montana Technological University
- Public 4 Year
- Butte, MT
-
| 0 reviews
Montana Tech is a public university known for undergraduate mining, petroleum, and geological engineering. The campus sits in the historic mining city of Butte.
- SAT Range 1040-1260
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $16,665
Elon University
- Private 4 Year
- Elon, NC
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 10 application deadline
Elon is a private university known for undergraduate communications and business. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Elon.
- SAT Range 1130-1280
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $44,440
Penn State Erie Behrend College
- Public 4 Year
- Erie, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Penn State Behrend is a public college campus of Penn State known for undergraduate engineering, plastics engineering, and business. The wooded campus sits on a former estate outside downtown Erie.
- SAT Range 1120-1310
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $23,764
Roger Williams University
- Private 4 Year
- Bristol, RI
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Roger Williams is a private university known for undergraduate architecture and marine biology. The waterfront campus sits on Mount Hope Bay in Bristol.
- SAT Range 1140-1310
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $38,779
Virginia Commonwealth University
- Public 4 Year
- Richmond, VA
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 18 application deadline
VCU is a large public university known for undergraduate fine arts, design, and health professions. The urban campus stretches across downtown Richmond.
- SAT Range 1010-1270
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $26,836
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
- Public 4 Year
- Eau Claire, WI
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UW-Eau Claire is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and music. The campus sits along the Chippewa River in a western Wisconsin college town.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $15,151
Suffolk University
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Suffolk is a private university known for undergraduate business, government, and communications. The compact urban campus sits on Beacon Hill near Boston's government center.
- SAT Range 1090-1300
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $33,832
University of Minnesota Duluth
- Public 4 Year
- Duluth, MN
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UMD is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and the natural sciences. The hillside campus overlooks Lake Superior above the city of Duluth.
- SAT Range 1180-1350
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $20,128
University of Cincinnati Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Cincinnati, OH
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
University of Cincinnati is a large public university known for undergraduate architecture, design, and music. The urban campus occupies a hillside site in Cincinnati's Uptown area.
- SAT Range 1160-1370
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $24,696
Dallas Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Dallas, TX
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Dallas Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate business, education, and biblical studies. The hilltop campus overlooks Mountain Creek Lake in southwest Dallas.
- SAT Range 960-1213
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $30,057
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott
- Private 4 Year
- Prescott, AZ
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
Embry-Riddle Prescott is a private university known for undergraduate aeronautical science, aerospace engineering, and aviation. The mountain campus sits outside downtown Prescott in Arizona high country.
- SAT Range 1140-1370
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $41,864
Eastern Connecticut State University
- Public 4 Year
- Willimantic, CT
-
| 0 reviews
Eastern is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate education and environmental earth science. The residential campus sits in the small town of Willimantic in eastern Connecticut.
- SAT Range 1070-1260
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $21,512
Champlain College
- Private 4 Year
- Burlington, VT
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Champlain is a private college known for undergraduate game design, digital forensics, and media production. The hilltop campus overlooks Lake Champlain in downtown Burlington.
- SAT Range 1220-1380
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $38,173
University of Wisconsin La Crosse
- Public 4 Year
- La Crosse, WI
-
| 0 reviews
UW-La Crosse is a public university known for undergraduate exercise science, biology, and teacher education. The campus sits along the Mississippi River at the base of wooded bluffs.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $14,712
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach
- Private 4 Year
- Daytona Beach, FL
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
Embry-Riddle is a private university known for undergraduate aerospace engineering, aeronautical science, and aviation. The Daytona Beach campus adjoins the local airport on Florida's Atlantic coast.
- SAT Range 1160-1360
- Avg GPA 3.88
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $42,976