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.
Willamette University
- Private 4 Year
- Salem, OR
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Willamette is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate political science and government. The historic campus borders the Oregon State Capitol grounds in downtown Salem.
- SAT Range 1240-1440
- Avg GPA 3.97
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $29,421
La Salle University
- Private 4 Year
- Philadelphia, PA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
La Salle is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business and nursing. The urban campus sits in northwest Philadelphia.
- SAT Range 1050-1268
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $18,069
University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Pittsburgh, PA
-
3.8 | 5 reviews
Pitt is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and philosophy. The urban campus in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood centers on the Cathedral of Learning.
- SAT Range 1280-1460
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $25,223
Ursinus College
- Private 4 Year
- Collegeville, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Ursinus is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology, neuroscience, and a required first-year common curriculum. The residential campus sits in suburban Collegeville northwest of Philadelphia.
- SAT Range 1200-1385
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $32,158
University of Houston
- Public 4 Year
- Houston, TX
-
4.0 | 7 reviews
- May 31 application deadline
University of Houston is a large public university known for undergraduate hospitality management, business, and engineering. The urban campus sits in southeast Houston.
- SAT Range 1160-1340
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $14,309
Seattle University
- Private 4 Year
- Seattle, WA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Seattle University is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The urban campus sits on First Hill near downtown Seattle.
- SAT Range 1200-1430
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $36,948
University of Wyoming
- Public 4 Year
- Laramie, WY
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 10 application deadline
Wyoming is a public university known for undergraduate geology, petroleum engineering, and agriculture. The campus sits in the college town of Laramie near the Medicine Bow Mountains.
- SAT Range 1040-1240
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $14,872
University of Arizona
- Public 4 Year
- Tucson, AZ
-
| 0 reviews
Arizona is a large public university known for undergraduate astronomy, optical sciences, and planetary science. The main campus sits in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson.
- SAT Range 1150-1420
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $19,055
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
- Public 4 Year
- San Luis Obispo, CA
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal Poly is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and agriculture. Students study on a Central Coast campus in the college town of San Luis Obispo.
- SAT Range 1220-1410
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 31%
- Net Price $17,453
American University
- Private 4 Year
- Washington, DC
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
American University is a private university known for undergraduate international relations, political science, and communications. The residential campus sits in northwest Washington, D.C., near the city's diplomatic quarter.
- SAT Range 1280-1460
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $39,676
Agnes Scott College
- Private 4 Year
- Decatur, GA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Agnes Scott is a private women's liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, writing, and global learning. The residential campus sits in historic Decatur, just outside Atlanta.
- SAT Range 1160-1330
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $27,499
Berry College
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Berry, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Berry is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate animal science, business, and education. Most students join a campus work program on the college's 27,000-acre grounds of forests and farmland near Rome.
- SAT Range 1125-1330
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $25,363
Lake Forest College
- Private 4 Year
- Lake Forest, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Lake Forest is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, business, and biology. The residential campus sits in a North Shore suburb of Chicago near Lake Michigan.
- SAT Range 1190-1393
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $31,225
Northern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Dekalb, IL
-
3.2 | 5 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NIU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, education, and the visual arts. The residential campus is in the college town of DeKalb west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 940-1170
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,243
Indiana University Indianapolis
- Public 4 Year
- Indianapolis, IN
-
| 0 reviews
- May 15 application deadline
IU Indianapolis is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and philanthropic studies. The urban campus is located in downtown Indianapolis.
- SAT Range 1030-1240
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $12,228
Indiana University Bloomington
- Public 4 Year
- Bloomington, IN
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
IU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, music, and media. Bloomington is a classic college town built around a historic limestone campus.
- SAT Range 1170-1400
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $17,270
Cornell College
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Vernon, IA
-
| 0 reviews
Cornell College is a private liberal arts college known for its One Course At A Time calendar of intensive undergraduate courses. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Mount Vernon.
- SAT Range 1120-1285
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $25,220
Iowa State University
- Public 4 Year
- Ames, IA
-
4.0 | 4 reviews
Iowa State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and design. Ames is a college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1120-1360
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,779