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.
Louisiana Tech University
- Public 4 Year
- Ruston, LA
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
Louisiana Tech is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and architecture. Ruston is a college town in northern Louisiana built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1100-1310
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $12,325
McNeese State University
- Public 4 Year
- Lake Charles, LA
-
| 0 reviews
McNeese is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and business. The campus sits in Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana.
- SAT Range 940-1198
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $12,430
University of New Orleans
- Public 4 Year
- New Orleans, LA
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UNO is a public university known for undergraduate naval architecture, marine engineering, and hospitality. The urban campus sits on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
- SAT Range 935-1241
- Avg GPA 3.21
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $12,258
Nicholls State University
- Public 4 Year
- Thibodaux, LA
-
| 0 reviews
Nicholls State is a public university known for undergraduate culinary arts and nursing. The campus is in Thibodaux, a small bayou city in south Louisiana.
- SAT Range 934-1196
- Avg GPA 3.34
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $12,298
University of Louisiana at Monroe
- Public 4 Year
- Monroe, LA
-
| 0 reviews
ULM is a public university known for undergraduate pharmacy, nursing, and health sciences. The campus borders Bayou DeSiard in Monroe.
- SAT Range 1160-1360
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $13,648
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
- Public 4 Year
- Natchitoches, LA
-
| 0 reviews
Northwestern State is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in historic Natchitoches, a small city along the Cane River.
- SAT Range 866-1163
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $13,134
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
- Private 4 Year
- Baton Rouge, LA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
FranU is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The compact Baton Rouge campus is tied to the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady health system.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $16,432
Southeastern Louisiana University
- Public 4 Year
- Hammond, LA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Southeastern Louisiana is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Hammond, a smaller city between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $13,116
Southern University and A & M College
- Public 4 Year
- Baton Rouge, LA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Southern is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and agriculture. The Baton Rouge campus sits on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range 790-1020
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 35%
- Net Price $18,353
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- Public 4 Year
- Lafayette, LA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
UL Lafayette is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and architecture. The campus is set in Lafayette, a hub of Cajun and Acadiana culture in southern Louisiana.
- SAT Range 1120-1240
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $13,017
University of Maine at Farmington
- Public 4 Year
- Farmington, ME
-
| 0 reviews
University of Maine at Farmington is a small public liberal arts college known for undergraduate teacher education and creative writing. The residential campus is set in the western Maine college town of Farmington.
- SAT Range 995-1245
- Avg GPA 3.15
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $17,451
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
- Private 4 Year
- Standish, ME
-
| 0 reviews
A private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The campus sits on the shores of Sebago Lake in a rural Maine setting.
- SAT Range 960-1150
- Avg GPA 3.0
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $28,217
University of Southern Maine
- Public 4 Year
- Portland, ME
-
| 0 reviews
USM is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. Students split time between an urban Portland campus and a residential campus in nearby Gorham.
- SAT Range 990-1250
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $14,028
Bowie State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bowie, MD
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- May 15 application deadline
Bowie State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate education and nursing. The suburban campus sits between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
- SAT Range 796-1083
- Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $17,287
Coppin State University
- Public 4 Year
- Baltimore, MD
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Coppin State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing and teacher education. The urban campus sits in west Baltimore.
- SAT Range 880-1020
- Avg GPA 2.62
- Acceptance Rate 46%
- Net Price $9,831
Frostburg State University
- Public 4 Year
- Frostburg, MD
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Frostburg State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the Appalachian mountain town of Frostburg in western Maryland.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,669
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Public 4 Year
- Princess Anne, MD
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UMES is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate agriculture, aviation science, and hospitality management. The rural campus is located in the small town of Princess Anne on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
- SAT Range 840-1010
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $13,311
Morgan State University
- Public 4 Year
- Baltimore, MD
-
4.2 | 5 reviews
- Apr 15 application deadline
Morgan State is a public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and business. The urban campus is in northeast Baltimore.
- SAT Range 840-1070
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $15,476