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.
McMurry University
- Private 4 Year
- Abilene, TX
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
McMurry is a private university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The residential campus in Abilene is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
- SAT Range 950-1160
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $20,723
Midwestern State University
- Public 4 Year
- Wichita Falls, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Midwestern State is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The campus sits in the city of Wichita Falls in North Texas.
- SAT Range 910-1100
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $11,215
University of North Texas
- Public 4 Year
- Denton, TX
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UNT is a large public university known for undergraduate music and jazz studies. Denton is a college town north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- SAT Range 980-1230
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $15,965
Our Lady of the Lake University
- Private 4 Year
- San Antonio, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Our Lady of the Lake is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate social work and education. The urban San Antonio campus is a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
- SAT Range 890-1070
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $16,999
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Public 4 Year
- Edinburg, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
UTRGV is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and engineering. Campuses span the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $5,282
Prairie View A & M University
- Public 4 Year
- Prairie View, TX
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Prairie View A&M is a public HBCU known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and agriculture. The small-town campus sits northwest of Houston in Prairie View.
- SAT Range 860-1080
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $14,448
University of St Thomas
- Private 4 Year
- Houston, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
University of St. Thomas is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and the liberal arts. The urban campus sits in Houston's Museum District.
- SAT Range 980-1210
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $20,599
Sam Houston State University
- Public 4 Year
- Huntsville, TX
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Sam Houston State is a large public university known for undergraduate criminal justice and forensic science. The main campus is in Huntsville in the piney woods of East Texas.
- SAT Range 930-1120
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $14,737
Schreiner University
- Private 4 Year
- Kerrville, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Schreiner is a small private university with undergraduate programs in nursing and education. The campus sits in Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country.
- SAT Range 970-1160
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $22,884
Nelson University
- Private 4 Year
- Waxahachie, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Nelson is a private Assemblies of God university known for undergraduate ministry and education programs. The campus is in Waxahachie, a small city south of Dallas.
- SAT Range 890-1090
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.19
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $22,359
Stephen F Austin State University
- Public 4 Year
- Nacogdoches, TX
-
3.8 | 8 reviews
SFA is a public university known for undergraduate forestry, education, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the historic East Texas college town of Nacogdoches.
- SAT Range 970-1170
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.26
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $14,959
Texas State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Marcos, TX
-
3.8 | 9 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
Texas State is a large public university known for undergraduate geography, education, and mass communication. The campus in the college town of San Marcos sits along the spring-fed San Marcos River.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $15,716
Tarleton State University
- Public 4 Year
- Stephenville, TX
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Tarleton State is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, animal science, and nursing. The main campus anchors the college town of Stephenville in north-central Texas.
- SAT Range 980-1160
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.21
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $16,159
Texas A&M University Kingsville
- Public 4 Year
- Kingsville, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Texas A&M-Kingsville is a public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering, agriculture, and wildlife science. Students attend a campus in the small South Texas city of Kingsville.
- SAT Range 990-1110
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $12,812
The University of Texas at Arlington
- Public 4 Year
- Arlington, TX
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UT Arlington is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and architecture. The suburban campus sits in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex between the two cities.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $13,755
The University of Texas at El Paso
- Public 4 Year
- El Paso, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
UTEP is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering. The campus features distinctive Bhutanese-style architecture in El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border.
- SAT Range 860-1080
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $9,305
Texas Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Seguin, TX
-
| 0 reviews
Texas Lutheran is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The residential campus is in Seguin, a small city northeast of San Antonio.
- SAT Range 1030-1230
- Avg GPA 3.9
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $25,119
The University of Texas Permian Basin
- Public 4 Year
- Odessa, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 23 application deadline
UT Permian Basin is a public university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering and business. The campus is located in Odessa in West Texas's Permian Basin.
- SAT Range 910-1130
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $13,563