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.
MidAmerica Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Olathe, KS
-
| 0 reviews
MidAmerica Nazarene is a private Nazarene university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry. The suburban campus sits in the Kansas City metro area.
- SAT Range 950-1090
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $32,081
University of Saint Mary
- Private 4 Year
- Leavenworth, KS
-
| 0 reviews
University of Saint Mary is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in historic Leavenworth, near the Kansas City metro area.
- SAT Range 806-1028
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $23,020
Wichita State University
- Public 4 Year
- Wichita, KS
-
| 0 reviews
Wichita State is a public university known for undergraduate aerospace engineering and aviation programs. The urban Wichita campus has long ties to the region's aircraft industry.
- SAT Range 905-1240
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $14,228
University of the Cumberlands
- Private 4 Year
- Williamsburg, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 31 application deadline
University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. Students live on a residential campus in the small Appalachian town of Williamsburg.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $14,743
Eastern Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Richmond, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
EKU is a public university known for undergraduate criminal justice, fire protection, and safety programs. The campus sits in the college town of Richmond in central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 880-1080
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,279
Georgetown College
- Private 4 Year
- Georgetown, KY
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Georgetown College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and business. Most undergrads live on its residential campus in a small Kentucky college town.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $15,160
Kentucky State University
- Public 4 Year
- Frankfort, KY
-
| 0 reviews
Kentucky State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate aquaculture and agriculture. Students attend a small campus in Kentucky's capital city.
- SAT Range 820-1010
- Avg GPA 2.72
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $9,397
Midway University
- Private 4 Year
- Midway, KY
-
| 0 reviews
Midway is a private university known for undergraduate equestrian studies, nursing, and teacher education. The residential campus is in the small town of Midway in central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 1100-1170
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $30,679
Murray State University
- Public 4 Year
- Murray, KY
-
| 0 reviews
Murray State is a public university known for undergraduate education, agriculture, and nursing. Murray is a small college town in western Kentucky built around the campus.
- SAT Range 940-1170
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $10,182
Northern Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Highland Heights, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
NKU is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The suburban campus in Highland Heights sits just south of Cincinnati.
- SAT Range 953-1150
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $9,211
Spalding University
- Private 4 Year
- Louisville, KY
-
| 0 reviews
Spalding is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The urban campus sits in downtown Louisville.
- SAT Range 875-1038
- Avg GPA 3.87
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $25,999
Thomas More University
- Private 4 Year
- Crestview Hills, KY
-
| 0 reviews
Thomas More is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The suburban campus in Crestview Hills sits just south of Cincinnati.
- SAT Range 1030-1230
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $22,297
Union Commonwealth University
- Private 4 Year
- Barbourville, KY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
Union Commonwealth is a small private university with undergraduate programs in education, business, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the Appalachian college town of Barbourville.
- SAT Range 920-1105
- Avg GPA 3.15
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $17,124
Western Kentucky University
- Public 4 Year
- Bowling Green, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
WKU is a public university known for undergraduate journalism, photojournalism, and broadcasting. The hilltop campus overlooks Bowling Green in south-central Kentucky.
- SAT Range 840-1050
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $12,548
Dillard University
- Private 4 Year
- New Orleans, LA
-
| 0 reviews
Dillard is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, public health, and the sciences. The urban campus sits in New Orleans's Gentilly neighborhood.
- SAT Range 968-1202
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $21,842
Grambling State University
- Public 4 Year
- Grambling, LA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Grambling is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and criminal justice. The residential campus is in the small town of Grambling in northern Louisiana.
- SAT Range 920-1080
- Avg GPA 3.01
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $17,018
Louisiana State University Alexandria
- Public 4 Year
- Alexandria, LA
-
| 0 reviews
LSUA is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in Alexandria in central Louisiana.
- SAT Range 970-1220
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $8,296
Louisiana State University Shreveport
- Public 4 Year
- Shreveport, LA
-
| 0 reviews
LSU Shreveport is a public university in the LSU system with undergraduate programs in business, education, and the sciences. The campus serves students across the Shreveport-Bossier region of northwest Louisiana.
- SAT Range 1000-1195
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $7,287