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.
George Fox University
- Private 4 Year
- Newberg, OR
-
| 0 reviews
George Fox is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The residential campus sits in the Willamette Valley town of Newberg near Portland.
- SAT Range 1070-1340
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $32,171
Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- Forest Grove, OR
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 25 application deadline
Pacific is a private university known for undergraduate health sciences, education, and psychology. The residential campus is in the small college town of Forest Grove west of Portland.
- SAT Range 900-1240
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $35,235
Arcadia University
- Private 4 Year
- Glenside, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Arcadia is a private university known for undergraduate study abroad and international education. The suburban Glenside campus is anchored by Grey Towers Castle, a National Historic Landmark.
- SAT Range 1065-1265
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $30,037
Immaculata University
- Private 4 Year
- Immaculata, PA
-
3.0 | 4 reviews
Immaculata is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The suburban Chester County campus was a women's college for most of its history before becoming coeducational.
- SAT Range 1156-1323
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $24,708
Shenandoah University
- Private 4 Year
- Winchester, VA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Shenandoah is a private university known for undergraduate music, theater, and dance through the Shenandoah Conservatory. The campus is in Winchester in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.
- SAT Range 1010-1230
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $27,181
University of Arkansas
- Public 4 Year
- Fayetteville, AR
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Arkansas is a large public university known for undergraduate business and architecture. The campus sits in the college town of Fayetteville in the Ozark Mountains.
- SAT Range 1030-1220
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $18,408
Nova Southeastern University
- Private 4 Year
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
Nova Southeastern is a private university known for undergraduate marine science, health sciences, and psychology. The suburban campus sits in the Fort Lauderdale area of South Florida.
- SAT Range 1030-1300
- Avg GPA 3.99
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $31,858
University of Northern Iowa
- Public 4 Year
- Cedar Falls, IA
-
3.5 | 4 reviews
UNI is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Cedar Falls.
- SAT Range 1020-1280
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $16,437
Fitchburg State University
- Public 4 Year
- Fitchburg, MA
-
| 0 reviews
Fitchburg State is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The campus is located in the small city of Fitchburg in north-central Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1060-1230
- Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $15,340
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
- Public 4 Year
- North Dartmouth, MA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
UMass Dartmouth is a public university known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and visual design. The suburban campus features distinctive modernist architecture in southeastern Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1050-1270
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $21,094
Mount Saint Mary College
- Private 4 Year
- Newburgh, NY
-
| 0 reviews
Mount Saint Mary is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus overlooks the Hudson River in Newburgh.
- SAT Range 1090-1255
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $26,896
State University of New York at Cortland
- Public 4 Year
- Cortland, NY
-
| 0 reviews
SUNY Cortland is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, physical education, and sport management. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Cortland in central New York.
- SAT Range 1090-1240
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $19,847
Syracuse University
- Private 4 Year
- Syracuse, NY
-
4.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Syracuse is a private university known for undergraduate communications, journalism, and architecture. The residential campus sits on a hill overlooking the city of Syracuse.
- SAT Range 1270-1440
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 46%
- Net Price $48,215
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Public 4 Year
- Charlotte, NC
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UNC Charlotte is a large public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and architecture. The suburban campus sits in North Carolina's largest city.
- SAT Range 1140-1330
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $15,045
University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Public 4 Year
- Wilmington, NC
-
3.4 | 5 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
UNCW is a public university known for undergraduate marine biology and coastal sciences. The campus sits in coastal Wilmington near the Atlantic beaches.
- SAT Range 1230-1340
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $18,976
Oberlin College
- Private 4 Year
- Oberlin, OH
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Oberlin is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music through its Conservatory and for the arts. Most students live on a residential campus in the small college town of Oberlin.
- SAT Range 1360-1520
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 34%
- Net Price $51,624
Baylor University
- Private 4 Year
- Waco, TX
-
4.2 | 14 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Baylor is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and prehealth programs. The residential campus sits along the Brazos River in Waco.
- SAT Range 1200-1400
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $47,001
Lubbock Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Lubbock, TX
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
Lubbock Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus in Lubbock is affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $24,544