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.
Marian University
- Private 4 Year
- Fond Du Lac, WI
-
| 0 reviews
Marian is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The small campus lies in Fond du Lac at the southern end of Lake Winnebago.
- SAT Range 800-1080
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $22,697
Mount Mary University
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
-
| 0 reviews
Mount Mary is a private Catholic women's university known for undergraduate fashion design, dietetics, and art. The campus sits in a residential neighborhood on Milwaukee's northwest side.
- SAT Range 866-1123
- Avg GPA 3.13
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $20,390
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
- Public 4 Year
- Whitewater, WI
-
| 0 reviews
UW-Whitewater is a public university known for undergraduate business and education. The campus is set in the small college town of Whitewater in southeastern Wisconsin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $12,709
University of Wisconsin Green Bay
- Public 4 Year
- Green Bay, WI
-
| 0 reviews
UW-Green Bay is a public university known for undergraduate environmental science and business. The wooded campus borders Green Bay and includes a large arboretum with trails.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $11,429
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
- Public 4 Year
- Oshkosh, WI
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
UW Oshkosh is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus borders Lake Winnebago in a mid-sized Wisconsin city.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $12,500
University of Wisconsin Parkside
- Public 4 Year
- Kenosha, WI
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| 0 reviews
UW-Parkside is a public university known for undergraduate business, criminal justice, and biological sciences. The wooded Kenosha campus sits between Milwaukee and Chicago.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $10,234
University of Wisconsin Stout
- Public 4 Year
- Menomonie, WI
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
UW-Stout is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate industrial design, packaging, and engineering technology. The campus is in Menomonie, a small city in western Wisconsin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,673
University of Wisconsin Superior
- Public 4 Year
- Superior, WI
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
UW-Superior is a small public university known for undergraduate education, business, and transportation and logistics. The lakeside campus sits on the shore of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.32
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $13,215
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
- Public 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
UWM is a large public university known for undergraduate architecture, nursing, and freshwater sciences. The urban East Side campus sits near Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $16,263
University of Wisconsin Platteville
- Public 4 Year
- Platteville, WI
-
3.0 | 4 reviews
UW-Platteville is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and agriculture. Most students live on a residential campus in the small college town of Platteville.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $16,266
University of Wisconsin River Falls
- Public 4 Year
- River Falls, WI
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
UW-River Falls is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, animal science, and teacher education. The campus is in the small city of River Falls near the Twin Cities.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $14,769
University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
- Public 4 Year
- Stevens Point, WI
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2.5 | 2 reviews
- Sep 1 application deadline
UW-Stevens Point is a public university known for undergraduate natural resources, forestry, and paper science. The campus sits in the college town of Stevens Point in central Wisconsin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.27
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $14,883
California State University San Marcos
- Public 4 Year
- San Marcos, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal State San Marcos is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The suburban hillside campus is in North San Diego County.
- SAT Range 950-1130
- Avg GPA 3.32
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $10,241
California State University Monterey Bay
- Public 4 Year
- Seaside, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
CSUMB is a public university known for undergraduate marine science and environmental studies. The campus sits on the former Fort Ord site overlooking Monterey Bay.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $14,493
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide
- Private 4 Year
- Daytona Beach, FL
-
| 0 reviews
Embry-Riddle Worldwide is a private university known for undergraduate aviation, aeronautics, and aerospace programs offered mainly online. Most students complete degrees through flexible distance learning rather than a traditional residential campus.
- SAT Range 1040-1240
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $19,458
Florida Gulf Coast University
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Myers, FL
-
3.0 | 3 reviews
- Nov 1 application deadline
FGCU is a public university known for undergraduate environmental science, marine science, and hospitality management. The Fort Myers campus includes nature preserves and sits near the Gulf Coast.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $12,863
University of California Merced
- Public 4 Year
- Merced, CA
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
UC Merced is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, biology, and psychology. The newest University of California campus is located in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range 960-1140
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $13,690
Johnson & Wales University Charlotte
- Private 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
-
| 0 reviews
Johnson & Wales Charlotte is a private university known for undergraduate culinary arts, hospitality management, and business. The urban campus is located in uptown Charlotte.
- SAT Range 880-1130
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $28,084