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.
Samford University
- Private 4 Year
- Birmingham, AL
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Samford is a private Christian university known for undergraduate pharmacy, nursing, and business. The Georgian-style campus sits in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood.
- SAT Range 1070-1250
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $34,926
Biola University
- Private 4 Year
- La Mirada, CA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
Biola is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies, theology, and cinema and media arts. The suburban La Mirada campus requires Bible coursework of all undergraduates.
- SAT Range 1160-1370
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $34,082
Dominican University of California
- Private 4 Year
- San Rafael, CA
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2.5 | 2 reviews
A private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The San Rafael campus sits in Marin County north of San Francisco.
- SAT Range 1210-1300
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $37,456
University of Colorado Boulder
- Public 4 Year
- Boulder, CO
-
4.0 | 6 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
CU Boulder is a large public university known for undergraduate aerospace engineering, environmental sciences, and physics. The campus sits against the Flatirons in the college town of Boulder.
- SAT Range 1240-1430
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $26,231
University of Hartford
- Private 4 Year
- West Hartford, CT
-
| 0 reviews
University of Hartford is a private university known for undergraduate music, dance, and theater at the Hartt School. The suburban campus sits in West Hartford next to the state capital.
- SAT Range 1120-1310
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $31,261
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
- Public 4 Year
- Edwardsville, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
SIUE is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The large wooded campus sits in the St. Louis metro area.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $17,115
Butler University
- Private 4 Year
- Indianapolis, IN
-
3.8 | 4 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Butler is a private university known for undergraduate pharmacy, business, and communication. Most students live on a residential campus on Indianapolis's north side.
- SAT Range 1160-1350
- Avg GPA 3.92
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $38,438
Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Terre Haute, IN
-
0.0 | 1 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Rose-Hulman is a private college known for undergraduate engineering, science, and mathematics. Most students live on the residential campus in Terre Haute.
- SAT Range 1320-1500
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $45,406
Andrews University
- Private 4 Year
- Berrien Springs, MI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Andrews is a private Seventh-day Adventist university known for undergraduate theology, architecture, and aviation. The campus sits in the small college town of Berrien Springs in southwest Michigan.
- SAT Range 990-1290
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $24,728
Bethel University
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Paul, MN
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
Bethel is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban Arden Hills campus sits in the Twin Cities metro near St. Paul.
- SAT Range 1190-1300
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $31,738
University of Nevada Reno
- Public 4 Year
- Reno, NV
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- Apr 7 application deadline
Nevada is a large public university known for undergraduate mining engineering, earth sciences, and journalism. The Reno campus sits near the base of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe.
- SAT Range 1060-1290
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $17,226
University of New Hampshire Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Durham, NH
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
UNH is a large public university known for undergraduate marine science, environmental studies, and business. Durham is a classic New England college town built around the campus near the seacoast.
- SAT Range 1090-1330
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $24,999
Long Island University
- Private 4 Year
- Brookville, NY
-
| 0 reviews
LIU is a private university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The suburban Brookville campus occupies a former Gilded Age estate on Long Island's North Shore.
- SAT Range 1110-1350
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $24,867
Touro University
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
3.0 | 1 reviews
Touro is a private Jewish-sponsored university known for undergraduate health sciences and education. The university operates multiple urban campuses across New York City.
- SAT Range 1218-1453
- Avg GPA 3.17
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $29,179
Miami University Oxford
- Public 4 Year
- Oxford, OH
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Miami University is a public university known for undergraduate business and education. The residential red-brick campus anchors the small college town of Oxford.
- SAT Range 1220-1390
- Avg GPA 3.85
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $28,229
Oregon State University
- Public 4 Year
- Corvallis, OR
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Oregon State is a large public university known for undergraduate forestry, marine science, and engineering. Corvallis is a college town built around the campus in Oregon's Willamette Valley.
- SAT Range 1140-1400
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $22,467
Saint Francis University
- Private 4 Year
- Loretto, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Saint Francis is a private Franciscan university known for undergraduate physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and health sciences. The rural campus sits in the Allegheny Mountains town of Loretto.
- SAT Range 1050-1230
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $28,326
Randolph Macon College
- Private 4 Year
- Ashland, VA
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Randolph-Macon is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology, psychology, and business. Most undergrads live on a historic campus in the small college town of Ashland.
- SAT Range 980-1220
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $28,912