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.
University of California Santa Barbara
- Public 4 Year
- Santa Barbara, CA
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
UCSB is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate physics, marine science, and environmental studies. The oceanfront campus sits directly on the Pacific coast near Santa Barbara.
- SAT Range 1230-1460
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 33%
- Net Price $17,658
Claremont McKenna College
- Private 4 Year
- Claremont, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 5 application deadline
Claremont McKenna is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, government, and international relations. Students live on a residential campus that shares classes and facilities with the neighboring Claremont Colleges.
- SAT Range 1470-1560
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.89
- Acceptance Rate 10%
- Net Price $33,895
University of Florida
- Public 4 Year
- Gainesville, FL
-
4.5 | 6 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
UF is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and journalism. The large campus anchors the college town of Gainesville.
- SAT Range 1320-1480
- Avg GPA 3.9
- Acceptance Rate 24%
- Net Price $11,936
Centre College
- Private 4 Year
- Danville, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Centre is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, politics, and the natural sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Danville.
- SAT Range 1160-1450
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 54%
- Net Price $23,860
Boston College
- Private 4 Year
- Chestnut Hill, MA
-
5.0 | 5 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Boston College is a highly selective private Jesuit university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and the liberal arts. The residential campus sits in suburban Chestnut Hill just outside Boston.
- SAT Range 1440-1540
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.86
- Acceptance Rate 16%
- Net Price $32,519
Tufts University
- Private 4 Year
- Medford, MA
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
Tufts is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate international relations and biology. Most undergrads live on a residential hilltop campus in the Boston suburbs of Medford and Somerville.
- SAT Range 1470-1560
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.91
- Acceptance Rate 11%
- Net Price $32,367
Albion College
- Private 4 Year
- Albion, MI
-
| 0 reviews
Albion is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, pre-medical studies, and business. The residential campus sits in a small college town in south-central Michigan.
- SAT Range 930-1160
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $16,719
New York University
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
NYU is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate business, film, and the performing arts. The urban campus is centered in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
- SAT Range 1480-1560
- Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 9%
- Net Price $30,325
Brigham Young University Hawaii
- Private 4 Year
- Laie, HI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
BYU-Hawaii is a small private university known for undergraduate hospitality and tourism management, business, and Pacific Island studies. The seaside campus in Laie sits on Oahu's North Shore and is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- SAT Range 960-1190
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 47%
- Net Price $12,410
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
- Public 4 Year
- Champaign, IL
-
4.4 | 5 reviews
- Jan 5 application deadline
Illinois is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate computer science and engineering. The campus spans the adjacent college towns of Champaign and Urbana.
- SAT Range 1310-1520
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $13,973
Grinnell College
- Private 4 Year
- Grinnell, IA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Grinnell is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for an open curriculum and undergraduate work in the sciences and social sciences. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in the small town of Grinnell.
- SAT Range 1410-1540
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.89
- Acceptance Rate 15%
- Net Price $34,363
Skidmore College
- Private 4 Year
- Saratoga Springs, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Skidmore is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate studio art, performing arts, and business. The residential campus sits in the historic spa town of Saratoga Springs.
- SAT Range 1340-1480
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 21%
- Net Price $31,187
University of Washington Seattle Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Seattle, WA
-
3.5 | 6 reviews
- Nov 16 application deadline
UW is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and oceanography. The urban campus sits beside Portage Bay and Lake Washington.
- SAT Range 1200-1453
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 39%
- Net Price $11,784
Trinity College
- Private 4 Year
- Hartford, CT
-
5.0 | 6 reviews
- Jan 17 application deadline
Trinity is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate engineering, political science, and economics. The historic campus occupies a compact urban site in Hartford.
- SAT Range 1298-1470
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 29%
- Net Price $36,071
University of St Francis
- Private 4 Year
- Joliet, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
University of St. Francis is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The campus sits in Joliet, a suburban city southwest of Chicago.
- SAT Range 1030-1220
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $14,045
St Olaf College
- Private 4 Year
- Northfield, MN
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
St. Olaf is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in the college town of Northfield.
- SAT Range 1300-1470
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $26,756
Truman State University
- Public 4 Year
- Kirksville, MO
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Truman State is a public liberal arts university known for undergraduate sciences, business, and education. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Kirksville.
- SAT Range 1170-1370
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $13,602
Reed College
- Private 4 Year
- Portland, OR
-
| 0 reviews
Reed is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences and humanities. All seniors complete a required year-long thesis on a wooded residential campus in southeast Portland.
- SAT Range 1290-1520
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 25%
- Net Price $30,953