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.
Maryland Institute College of Art
- Private 4 Year
- Baltimore, MD
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| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
MICA is a private art and design college known for undergraduate illustration, graphic design, and fine arts. The urban campus lies in Baltimore's Station North Arts District.
- SAT Range 1078-1305
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $47,834
Endicott College
- Private 4 Year
- Beverly, MA
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| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Endicott is a private college known for undergraduate hospitality management, nursing, and business. The oceanfront campus sits along the North Shore coastline in Beverly.
- SAT Range 1193-1340
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $41,394
Marymount Manhattan College
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Marymount Manhattan is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate theater, dance, and communication arts. The urban campus sits on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
- SAT Range 1105-1323
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $38,376
Marymount University
- Private 4 Year
- Arlington, VA
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| 0 reviews
Marymount is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and interior design. The Arlington campus sits just outside Washington, D.C.
- SAT Range 970-1170
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $31,989
Eckerd College
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Petersburg, FL
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4.0 | 1 reviews
Eckerd is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate marine science and environmental studies. The waterfront campus borders Boca Ciega Bay in St. Petersburg.
- SAT Range 1160-1330
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $43,884
Mississippi College
- Private 4 Year
- Clinton, MS
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| 0 reviews
Mississippi College is a private Baptist college known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban campus sits in Clinton just west of Jackson.
- SAT Range 1140-1260
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 29%
- Net Price $28,559
Emerson College
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
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| 0 reviews
- Feb 20 application deadline
Emerson is a private college known for undergraduate journalism, film, and performing arts. The urban campus sits in Boston's Theater District near Boston Common.
- SAT Range 1270-1420
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $53,432
Penn State Harrisburg
- Public 4 Year
- Middletown, PA
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| 0 reviews
Penn State Harrisburg is a public university campus known for undergraduate business, engineering, and public affairs. The suburban Middletown campus sits near Pennsylvania's state capital.
- SAT Range 1120-1310
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $23,788
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- Public 4 Year
- West Chester, PA
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| 0 reviews
West Chester is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, music, and nursing. The campus sits in the historic borough of West Chester near Philadelphia.
- SAT Range 1100-1270
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,546
Spelman College
- Private 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
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5.0 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Spelman is a highly selective historically Black women's college known for undergraduate sciences and the liberal arts. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Atlanta's West End, part of the Atlanta University Center.
- SAT Range 1108-1320
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 25%
- Net Price $40,354
The University of Tampa
- Private 4 Year
- Tampa, FL
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2.5 | 13 reviews
University of Tampa is a private university known for undergraduate business, marine science, and nursing. The urban campus centers on historic Plant Hall along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa.
- SAT Range 1070-1240
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 40%
- Net Price $35,679
Pratt Institute Main
- Private 4 Year
- Brooklyn, NY
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 5 application deadline
Pratt is a private college known for undergraduate architecture, art, and design. The compact urban campus occupies a city-block setting in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill.
- SAT Range 1150-1390
- Avg GPA 3.86
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $54,150
Pepperdine University
- Private 4 Year
- Malibu, CA
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4.3 | 3 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Pepperdine is a private Christian university known for undergraduate business, communication, and international studies. The Malibu campus overlooks the Pacific Ocean from hillsides above the coast.
- SAT Range 1290-1450
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $66,585
The New School
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
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3.3 | 3 reviews
The New School is a private university known for undergraduate fashion, design, and the performing arts. Students attend classes on an urban campus in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
- SAT Range 1140-1360
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $67,224
Otis College of Art and Design
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
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1.0 | 1 reviews
Otis is a private art and design college known for undergraduate fashion design, graphic design, and digital media. The urban campus is in Los Angeles's Westchester neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1265-1395
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $54,295
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
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2.0 | 1 reviews
- Nov 15 application deadline
SAIC is a private art and design college known for undergraduate fine arts, design, and contemporary art practice. The urban downtown campus is connected to the Art Institute of Chicago museum.
- SAT Range 1048-1260
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $55,631
Alabama A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Normal, AL
-
| 0 reviews
Alabama A&M is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and education. The Normal campus lies just north of Huntsville.
- SAT Range 810-1040
- Avg GPA 3.02
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $17,152
Alabama State University
- Public 4 Year
- Montgomery, AL
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4.5 | 2 reviews
- Jul 31 application deadline
Alabama State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate education, business, and health sciences. The urban campus is in Montgomery, the state capital.
- SAT Range 749-967
- Avg GPA 2.95
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $13,138