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.
Savannah State University
- Public 4 Year
- Savannah, GA
-
3.7 | 3 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Savannah State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate marine science. The waterfront campus sits along a tidal marsh on the edge of Savannah.
- SAT Range 845-980
- Avg GPA 2.77
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $7,956
Shorter University
- Private 4 Year
- Rome, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 25 application deadline
Shorter is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. The campus sits in the small city of Rome in northwest Georgia.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $16,821
Thomas University
- Private 4 Year
- Thomasville, GA
-
| 0 reviews
Thomas University is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The small campus is located in Thomasville in southern Georgia.
- SAT Range 990-1220
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $17,823
Toccoa Falls College
- Private 4 Year
- Toccoa Falls, GA
-
1.8 | 6 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Toccoa Falls is a private Christian college known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and missions. The wooded campus includes the Toccoa Falls waterfall in the North Georgia foothills.
- SAT Range 1010-1230
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $21,955
Truett McConnell University
- Private 4 Year
- Cleveland, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Truett McConnell is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate Christian studies and education. The campus is in the North Georgia mountains near Cleveland.
- SAT Range 1000-1190
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,179
Valdosta State University
- Public 4 Year
- Valdosta, GA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 15 application deadline
Valdosta State is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The campus is in the south Georgia city of Valdosta.
- SAT Range 920-1100
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $11,144
University of West Georgia
- Public 4 Year
- Carrollton, GA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
West Georgia is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Carrollton, a small city about an hour west of Atlanta.
- SAT Range 950-1140
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 52%
- Net Price $12,913
Chaminade University of Honolulu
- Private 4 Year
- Honolulu, HI
-
| 0 reviews
Chaminade is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, criminal justice, and forensic sciences. The urban Honolulu campus follows a Marianist tradition in a residential neighborhood setting.
- SAT Range 970-1250
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $28,261
Hawaii Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- Honolulu, HI
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 6 application deadline
Hawaii Pacific is a private university known for undergraduate marine science, nursing, and international business. The urban campus sits in downtown Honolulu near the waterfront.
- SAT Range 998-1200
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $30,950
Boise State University
- Public 4 Year
- Boise, ID
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Boise State is a large public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and nursing. The urban campus borders the Boise River in Idaho's capital city.
- SAT Range 1030-1210
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $21,583
University of Idaho
- Public 4 Year
- Moscow, ID
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Idaho is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, natural resources, and engineering. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Moscow in northern Idaho.
- SAT Range 990-1230
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $15,111
Lewis Clark State College
- Public 4 Year
- Lewiston, ID
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 8 application deadline
Lewis-Clark State is a small public college known for undergraduate nursing, teacher education, and business. The campus is in Lewiston at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers.
- SAT Range 850-1110
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,917
Northwest Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Nampa, ID
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Northwest Nazarene is a private Christian university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and theology. The suburban campus is in Nampa, in Idaho's Treasure Valley near Boise.
- SAT Range 1005-1240
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $30,178
Brigham Young University Idaho
- Private 4 Year
- Rexburg, ID
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
BYU-Idaho is a private university affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The campus is in Rexburg, a small college town in eastern Idaho.
- SAT Range 970-1200
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.34
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $8,528
Aurora University
- Private 4 Year
- Aurora, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Aurora University is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and social work. The suburban campus sits in Aurora, about 40 miles west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 900-1150
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $19,053
Chicago State University
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Chicago State is a public university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The urban campus is located on Chicago's South Side.
- SAT Range 750-963
- Avg GPA 3.18
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $10,441
Concordia University Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- River Forest, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Concordia Chicago is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate education and teacher preparation. The suburban campus sits in River Forest just west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 990-1180
- Avg GPA 3.18
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $19,073
Eastern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Charleston, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Eastern Illinois is a mid-sized public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Charleston in east-central Illinois.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $13,787