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.
Providence College
- Private 4 Year
- Providence, RI
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Providence College is a private Dominican Catholic college known for undergraduate business and the liberal arts. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in a Providence neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1250-1390
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $48,618
University of Rhode Island
- Public 4 Year
- Kingston, RI
-
4.0 | 7 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
URI is a public university known for undergraduate oceanography, marine science, and pharmacy. The main campus sits in the college town of Kingston in southern Rhode Island.
- SAT Range 1020-1280
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $24,118
Salve Regina University
- Private 4 Year
- Newport, RI
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
Salve Regina is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and historic preservation. The Newport campus overlooks the Atlantic and incorporates several Gilded Age mansions.
- SAT Range 1160-1330
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $38,307
College of Charleston
- Public 4 Year
- Charleston, SC
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
College of Charleston is a public liberal arts college known for undergraduate marine biology and historic preservation. The historic campus sits in downtown Charleston near the harbor.
- SAT Range 1140-1310
- Avg GPA 3.94
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $21,004
University of South Carolina Columbia
- Public 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Dec 1 application deadline
South Carolina is a large public university known for undergraduate international business and hospitality management. The historic Horseshoe anchors the campus in downtown Columbia.
- SAT Range 1180-1360
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $24,488
Wayland Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Plainview, TX
-
2.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Wayland Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate education, business, and Christian studies. The campus is in the small city of Plainview on the Texas High Plains.
- SAT Range 900-1090
- Avg GPA 3.14
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $20,446
Old Dominion University
- Public 4 Year
- Norfolk, VA
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Old Dominion is a large public university known for undergraduate oceanography, engineering, and nursing. The urban campus sits in the coastal city of Norfolk.
- SAT Range 1100-1280
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $16,419
University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Public 4 Year
- Huntsville, AL
-
| 0 reviews
UAH is a public university known for undergraduate aerospace engineering, engineering, and the sciences. The Huntsville campus sits near NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and a major aerospace industry hub.
- SAT Range 1210-1410
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $19,396
William Jessup University
- Private 4 Year
- Rocklin, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Jessup is a private Christian university known for undergraduate business, psychology, and ministry programs. The suburban campus sits in Rocklin in the greater Sacramento area.
- SAT Range 1041-1228
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $29,679
Colorado State University Fort Collins
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Collins, CO
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Colorado State is a large public university known for undergraduate natural resources, agriculture, and engineering. The campus sits in the college town of Fort Collins near the Rocky Mountain foothills.
- SAT Range 1080-1290
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $21,011
Howard University
- Private 4 Year
- Washington, DC
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Howard is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate communications, political science, and business. The urban campus sits in Washington's Shaw neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1090-1320
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 41%
- Net Price $33,368
Kansas State University
- Public 4 Year
- Manhattan, KS
-
| 0 reviews
Kansas State is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, animal sciences, and architecture. The residential campus anchors the college town of Manhattan in the Flint Hills.
- SAT Range 1060-1260
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $20,527
Curry College
- Private 4 Year
- Milton, MA
-
1.8 | 4 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Curry is a private college known for undergraduate nursing, criminal justice, and communication. The suburban campus sits in Milton just south of Boston.
- SAT Range 1050-1230
- Avg GPA 3.01
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $29,917
MCPHS University
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
| 0 reviews
MCPHS is a private university known for undergraduate pharmacy, nursing, and health sciences. The urban campus sits in Boston's Longwood Medical Area.
- SAT Range 1160-1416
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $41,506
Iona University
- Private 4 Year
- New Rochelle, NY
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Iona is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business and communications. The suburban New Rochelle campus sits a short distance north of New York City.
- SAT Range 1110-1300
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $29,978
Marist University
- Private 4 Year
- Poughkeepsie, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Marist is a private university known for undergraduate communications, media studies, and fashion. The campus sits along the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie.
- SAT Range 1190-1340
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $42,508
Pace University
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Pace is a private university known for undergraduate business and performing arts. The urban Manhattan campus sits near New York City's financial district.
- SAT Range 1180-1340
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $34,791
SUNY Maritime College
- Public 4 Year
- Throggs Neck, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 31 application deadline
SUNY Maritime is a public maritime college known for undergraduate marine transportation, marine engineering, and naval architecture. The waterfront campus occupies historic Fort Schuyler on the Throggs Neck peninsula in the Bronx.
- SAT Range 1123-1288
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $20,312