So with college costing more than ever, and taking longer than ever to complete, how can you get the best value out of your college experience? The cost of college is high and rising. In just the last 30 years, the cost of a four-year degree, from any institution, public or private, has increased from $26,902 ($52,892 adjusted for inflation) to $104,480.
What are the most affordable colleges in the U.S.? And is it possible to earn a four-year degree that is both affordable and excellent? Is there such a thing as a good “cheap” school?
These are the questions we asked before putting together the list below. Of course, we don’t like to use the phrase “cheapest colleges and universities” because we don’t want you to think of these as bargain-bin schools. In reality, we focused on colleges and universities that provide educational excellence at a reasonable cost. Think of this as a list of schools that give you the best return on your investment.
But we know that the final price tag is on your mind when you’re shopping for colleges. The cost of college is high and rising. In just the last 30 years, the cost of a four-year degree, from any institution, public or private, has increased from $26,902 ($52,892 adjusted for inflation) to $104,480. And of course, that assumes you finish college in just four years, which happened for just 52.8% of private university students and 33.3% of public school students. So with college costing more than ever, and taking longer than ever to complete, how can you get the best value out of your college experience?
Start with a look at what we consider to be the “Best Value Colleges and Universities” – schools that charged under $20,000 per year in tuition and fees while rating at the top of our Influence Ranking. Technically, we consider schools “affordable” if tuition and fees are below the national average of $16,000 for public universities. Still, this sample of the best value colleges shows that many colleges and universities with excellent academic reputations can be reasonably priced.
These schools are ranked by academic excellence and all cost less than $20,000 a year.
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
14%
Graduation
93%
Student body
43K
Median SAT/ACT
1420/32
University of California, Berkeley’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
20%
Graduation
94%
Student body
44K
Median SAT/ACT
1430/32
University of Michigan’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
11%
Graduation
92%
Student body
46K
University of California, Los Angeles’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
84%
Student body
44K
Median SAT/ACT
1326/30
University of Washington’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
29%
Graduation
88%
Student body
45K
Median SAT/ACT
1340/29
University of Texas at Austin’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
84%
Student body
42K
Median SAT/ACT
1350/28
University of Minnesota’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
89%
Student body
38K
Median SAT/ACT
1360/29
University of Wisconsin–Madison’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$18K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
85%
Student body
55K
Median SAT/ACT
1330/30
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$20K
Acceptance
21%
Graduation
94%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/32
University of Virginia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
89%
Student body
41K
Median SAT/ACT
1375/31
University of California, San Diego’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$20K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
84%
Student body
26K
Median SAT/ACT
1331/30
University of Pittsburgh’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
52%
Graduation
88%
Student body
36K
Median SAT/ACT
1375/32
University of Maryland, College Park’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
83%
Student body
44K
Median SAT/ACT
1295/29
Purdue University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
81%
Student body
41K
Median SAT/ACT
1235/27
Indiana University Bloomington’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
88%
Student body
56K
Median SAT/ACT
1320/29
Ohio State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
30%
Graduation
91%
Student body
48K
Median SAT/ACT
1375/31
University of Florida’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
20%
Graduation
90%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1385/30
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
29%
Graduation
85%
Student body
27K
Median SAT/ACT
1345/31
University of California, Santa Barbara’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
64%
Student body
40K
Median SAT/ACT
1220/25
University of Arizona’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$16K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
82%
Student body
43K
Median SAT/ACT
1200/26
Michigan State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
95%
Graduation
67%
Student body
28K
Median SAT/ACT
1240/25
University of Utah’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
66%
Student body
73K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/24
Arizona State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
83%
Student body
61K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/29
Texas A&M University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
16%
Graduation
92%
Student body
34K
Median SAT/ACT
1450/33
Georgia Tech’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
29%
Graduation
84%
Student body
37K
Median SAT/ACT
1330/29
University of California, Irvine’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
For another way of looking at gettng the best return on your investment, check out our groundbreaking new ranking of the schools with the Best Academic Stewardship. Here, we ask how effectively schools manage their financial and human resources to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential. In other words, these schools are affordable considering what you’re getting in exchange.
One of the best ways to save money on your college investment without sacrificing quality is to attend a school in your home state, or in your region. Public and state schools generally offer lower tuition rates for in-state applicants, while attending a private school in-state can provide you with savings on travel and housing. That’s why we’ve cataloged the most affordable colleges and universities by state.
A large number of fully accredited colleges and universities offer excellent online degrees at the associate, bachelor’s, and grad levels. This can be a great way to save money on your higher education by reducing costs such as housing, transportation, and certain campus fees:
Community College is another excellent way to save money on the way to a degree. In most cases, your community college will offer a two-year degree at a more affordable rate than the rate offered by the average four-year public college or university. This is a great way to reduce your student loan debt burden even if you plan to ultimately transfer into a four-year bachelor’s degree program.
How much should you spend on your college education? The answer is different for everybody. The best way to calculate the right budget for your degree is to gain a better understanding of the higher education economy. Take a look at our exhaustive, fact-based resources on everything from admission rates and tuition costs to scholarships and financial aid.
There are steps that you can take beginning as early as high school, and strategies that you enact throughout your college education, to minimize your costs and maximize the value of your degree.
For deeper insights into the admissions process, the factors causing high tuition rates, and the best strategies for lowering the cost of your college education, check out our interviews with top experts in the field.
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