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.
Luther College
- Private 4 Year
- Decorah, IA
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| 0 reviews
Luther is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music and the sciences. The residential campus sits among the bluffs of Decorah in northeast Iowa.
- SAT Range 1078-1406
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $24,511
Simmons University
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
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| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Simmons is a private women's university known for undergraduate nursing, social work, and health sciences. The urban campus sits in Boston's Fenway neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1220-1390
- Avg GPA 3.87
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $28,691
University of Detroit Mercy
- Private 4 Year
- Detroit, MI
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| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate architecture, engineering, and nursing. The urban campus sits in northwest Detroit.
- SAT Range 1030-1260
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $16,790
University of Missouri St Louis
- Public 4 Year
- Saint Louis, MO
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| 0 reviews
UMSL is a public university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The suburban campus is in St. Louis County.
- SAT Range 1060-1290
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $14,008
Saint Louis University
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Louis, MO
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| 0 reviews
SLU is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate health sciences, nursing, and aviation. The urban campus sits in Midtown St. Louis.
- SAT Range 1200-1410
- Avg GPA 3.95
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $27,749
CUNY Hunter College
- Public 4 Year
- New York, NY
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| 0 reviews
Hunter College is a public CUNY college known for undergraduate nursing, education, and psychology. The urban campus is on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
- SAT Range 1100-1420
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 54%
- Net Price $4,431
The College of Wooster
- Private 4 Year
- Wooster, OH
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2.3 | 3 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college known for a required senior Independent Study thesis. Most undergrads live on a residential campus in a small Ohio college town.
- SAT Range 1220-1460
- Avg GPA 3.76
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $28,004
Allegheny College
- Private 4 Year
- Meadville, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Allegheny is a private liberal arts college known for requiring a major and minor in different fields and a senior comprehensive project. The historic campus sits in the small college town of Meadville in northwestern Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1173-1358
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 55%
- Net Price $26,420
Bryn Mawr College
- Private 4 Year
- Bryn Mawr, PA
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| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Bryn Mawr is a highly selective private women's liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, archaeology, and classics. The suburban Main Line campus outside Philadelphia shares courses and resources with nearby Haverford and Swarthmore.
- SAT Range 1280-1510
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.85
- Acceptance Rate 29%
- Net Price $33,221
Lycoming College
- Private 4 Year
- Williamsport, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Lycoming is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology, archaeology, and business. The residential campus sits in Williamsport along the Susquehanna River in north-central Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1080-1300
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $20,492
Austin College
- Private 4 Year
- Sherman, TX
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 31 application deadline
Austin College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences and international studies. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Sherman, north of Dallas.
- SAT Range 1100-1310
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $23,462
The University of Texas at Austin
- Public 4 Year
- Austin, TX
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5.0 | 4 reviews
- Dec 1 application deadline
UT Austin is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and computer science. The urban campus occupies a large site in central Austin.
- SAT Range 1250-1510
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 27%
- Net Price $17,942
Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Atlanta, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 4 application deadline
Georgia Tech is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and the sciences. The urban campus sits in midtown Atlanta.
- SAT Range 1370-1540
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.85
- Acceptance Rate 14%
- Net Price $15,918
Mercer University
- Private 4 Year
- Macon, GA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Mercer is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, business, and music. Most undergrads study on the historic main campus in Macon.
- SAT Range 1160-1350
- Avg GPA 3.98
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $24,364
Illinois Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Bloomington, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Illinois Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate music, nursing, and the sciences. Most students live on a residential campus in Bloomington in central Illinois.
- SAT Range 1120-1340
- Avg GPA 3.86
- Acceptance Rate 39%
- Net Price $28,644
University of Maryland College Park
- Public 4 Year
- College Park, MD
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4.8 | 6 reviews
UMD is a large public university known for undergraduate computer science, engineering, and journalism. The College Park campus sits just outside Washington, D.C.
- SAT Range 1400-1530
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 45%
- Net Price $16,581
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
- Private 4 Year
- Norton, MA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Wheaton is a private liberal arts college known for its interdisciplinary Connections curriculum and frequent dual majors. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in the small town of Norton southeast of Boston.
- SAT Range 1220-1390
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $30,701
Kalamazoo College
- Private 4 Year
- Kalamazoo, MI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Kalamazoo is a private liberal arts college known for the K-Plan curriculum, extensive undergraduate study abroad, and a required senior individualized project. Most undergrads complete an extended off-campus study experience before graduation.
- SAT Range 1170-1380
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $26,956