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.
Princeton University
- Private 4 Year
- Princeton, NJ
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Princeton is an Ivy League university known for undergraduate economics, public policy, and engineering. Most undergraduates complete a required senior thesis and live in residential colleges.
- SAT Range 1510-1580
- Avg GPA 3.93
- Acceptance Rate 5%
- Net Price $15,313
California Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Pasadena, CA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 3 application deadline
Caltech is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate physics, engineering, and chemistry. Most undergrads live on the compact residential campus in Pasadena.
- SAT Range 1530-1580
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.97
- Acceptance Rate 3%
- Net Price $14,513
Williams College
- Private 4 Year
- Williamstown, MA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 10 application deadline
Williams is a highly selective liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics and Oxford-style tutorials. Most students live on the rural campus in the Berkshires town of Williamstown.
- SAT Range 1490-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.94
- Acceptance Rate 8%
- Net Price $15,894
Harvard University
- Private 4 Year
- Cambridge, MA
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Harvard is an Ivy League university known for undergraduate economics, government, and the sciences. Most upperclass students live in residential houses that organize dining and social life.
- SAT Range 1510-1580
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 4%
- Net Price $17,525
Amherst College
- Private 4 Year
- Amherst, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 2 application deadline
Amherst is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, English, and political science. Students follow an open curriculum, and the campus sits in a classic New England college town.
- SAT Range 1490-1580
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.91
- Acceptance Rate 9%
- Net Price $19,049
University of Tulsa
- Private 4 Year
- Tulsa, OK
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
University of Tulsa is a private university known for undergraduate petroleum engineering and energy programs. The compact urban campus sits in midtown Tulsa.
- SAT Range 1223-1530
- Avg GPA 3.97
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $13,095
Pomona College
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 8 application deadline
Pomona is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, biology, and politics. Students live on a residential campus and can cross-enroll across the adjoining Claremont Colleges.
- SAT Range 1490-1560
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.89
- Acceptance Rate 7%
- Net Price $19,938
Yale University
- Private 4 Year
- New Haven, CT
-
4.5 | 4 reviews
- Jan 2 application deadline
Yale is an Ivy League university known for undergraduate programs in history, political science, and drama. Most undergraduates live in residential colleges that organize dining and social life.
- SAT Range 1470-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.95
- Acceptance Rate 4%
- Net Price $22,408
Colby College
- Private 4 Year
- Waterville, ME
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Colby is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental studies, economics, and government. The residential campus sits on Mayflower Hill above Waterville.
- SAT Range 1460-1550
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.86
- Acceptance Rate 7%
- Net Price $16,219
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Cambridge, MA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
MIT is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and the physical sciences. The compact urban campus sits along the Charles River in Cambridge.
- SAT Range 1520-1580
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.96
- Acceptance Rate 5%
- Net Price $20,996
Dartmouth College
- Private 4 Year
- Hanover, NH
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- Jan 3 application deadline
Dartmouth is an Ivy League college known for undergraduate government, economics, and engineering. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Hanover.
- SAT Range 1500-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.9
- Acceptance Rate 5%
- Net Price $20,322
Duke University
- Private 4 Year
- Durham, NC
-
5.0 | 6 reviews
- Jan 3 application deadline
Duke is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate public policy, biomedical engineering, and economics. The residential campus in Durham centers on Collegiate Gothic quads and a separate East Campus for first-year housing.
- SAT Range 1500-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.94
- Acceptance Rate 6%
- Net Price $21,981
Wellesley College
- Private 4 Year
- Wellesley, MA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 8 application deadline
Wellesley is a highly selective private women's liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, political science, and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in a Boston suburb about twelve miles west of the city.
- SAT Range 1460-1560
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.86
- Acceptance Rate 14%
- Net Price $22,174
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
- Public 4 Year
- Ann Arbor, MI
-
4.8 | 5 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Michigan is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and the social sciences. Ann Arbor is a classic college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1360-1530
- Avg GPA 3.88
- Acceptance Rate 16%
- Net Price $17,574
Washington University in St Louis
- Private 4 Year
- St. Louis, MO
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 4 application deadline
WashU is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate biology, business, and engineering. The Danforth campus adjoins Forest Park in suburban St. Louis.
- SAT Range 1500-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.92
- Acceptance Rate 12%
- Net Price $22,408
Stanford University
- Private 4 Year
- Stanford, CA
-
4.8 | 6 reviews
- Jan 2 application deadline
Stanford is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and entrepreneurship. The suburban campus sits in the heart of Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range 1510-1580
- Avg GPA 3.96
- Acceptance Rate 4%
- Net Price $25,078
Bowdoin College
- Private 4 Year
- Brunswick, ME
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 5 application deadline
Bowdoin is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate government, environmental studies, and the sciences. The historic campus sits in the coastal college town of Brunswick.
- SAT Range 1470-1550
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 7%
- Net Price $22,228
Johns Hopkins University
- Private 4 Year
- Baltimore, MD
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 3 application deadline
Johns Hopkins is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate biomedical engineering, public health, and international studies. Most undergraduates study on the Homewood campus in north Baltimore.
- SAT Range 1520-1570
- Avg GPA 3.92
- Acceptance Rate 6%
- Net Price $26,017