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.
Washington State University
- Public 4 Year
- Pullman, WA
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Jan 31 application deadline
WSU is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and communications. Pullman is a classic college town set in the Palouse region of eastern Washington.
- SAT Range 1020-1210
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,171
University of Connecticut Stamford
- Public 4 Year
- Stamford, CT
-
| 0 reviews
UConn Stamford is a public regional campus known for undergraduate business and digital media. The urban campus sits in downtown Stamford.
- SAT Range 930-1260
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $15,566
San Diego State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Diego, CA
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
SDSU is a large public university known for undergraduate international business, hospitality management, and communications. The urban campus sits in San Diego's College Area with Spanish Colonial Revival buildings.
- SAT Range 1090-1300
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 36%
- Net Price $14,704
Vanguard University of Southern California
- Private 4 Year
- Costa Mesa, CA
-
3.5 | 4 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Vanguard is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and theatre. The suburban Costa Mesa campus is affiliated with the Assemblies of God.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $23,286
Colorado School of Mines
- Public 4 Year
- Golden, CO
-
4.6 | 5 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Mines is a public university known for undergraduate engineering focused on mining, petroleum, and the earth sciences. The Golden campus sits against the Rocky Mountain foothills west of Denver.
- SAT Range 1320-1480
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $29,925
Quinnipiac University
- Private 4 Year
- Hamden, CT
-
3.8 | 5 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Quinnipiac is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and communications. The suburban campus sits at the base of Sleeping Giant in Hamden.
- SAT Range 1150-1320
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $40,632
Rollins College
- Private 4 Year
- Winter Park, FL
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Rollins is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business and international studies. Most undergrads live on a lakeside campus along Lake Virginia in Winter Park.
- SAT Range 1160-1370
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $39,201
Covenant College
- Private 4 Year
- Lookout Mountain, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Covenant is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate programs taught from a Reformed theological perspective. The mountaintop campus on Lookout Mountain overlooks the Chattanooga valley.
- SAT Range 1160-1380
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $27,926
University of Hawaii at Hilo
- Public 4 Year
- Hilo, HI
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
UH Hilo is a public university known for undergraduate astronomy, marine science, and Hawaiian studies. The campus sits on Hawaii's Big Island near Mauna Kea and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
- SAT Range 945-1175
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $12,673
Dordt University
- Private 4 Year
- Sioux Center, IA
-
| 0 reviews
Dordt is a private Christian university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Sioux Center in northwest Iowa.
- SAT Range 1070-1330
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $28,486
University of Kentucky
- Public 4 Year
- Lexington, KY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Kentucky is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and business. Lexington is a midsize city in the state's Bluegrass horse country.
- SAT Range 1070-1290
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $21,958
Salisbury University
- Public 4 Year
- Salisbury, MD
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Salisbury is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in a small city on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
- SAT Range 1180-1320
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,760
Emmanuel College
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Emmanuel is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and the sciences. The Fenway campus shares classes and facilities with neighboring schools through a consortium.
- SAT Range 1170-1340
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $31,121
Gordon College
- Private 4 Year
- Wenham, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Gordon is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate music, education, and psychology. Most students live on a wooded residential campus in the small North Shore town of Wenham.
- SAT Range 1130-1355
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $25,299
Kettering University
- Private 4 Year
- Flint, MI
-
| 0 reviews
Kettering is a private university known for undergraduate mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineering. The campus sits in Flint, a mid-sized Michigan city long tied to the auto industry.
- SAT Range 1160-1330
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $35,609
University of Nebraska at Kearney
- Public 4 Year
- Kearney, NE
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
UNK is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus is set in the college town of Kearney.
- SAT Range 905-1125
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $16,287
Rowan University
- Public 4 Year
- Glassboro, NJ
-
2.7 | 6 reviews
Rowan is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and education. Glassboro is a South Jersey college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1110-1310
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $23,761
Stevens Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Hoboken, NJ
-
| 0 reviews
Stevens is a private technological university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and systems engineering. The compact Hoboken campus sits on the Hudson River waterfront facing the Manhattan skyline.
- SAT Range 1380-1505
- Avg GPA 3.88
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $46,165