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.
St Lawrence University
- Private 4 Year
- Canton, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
St. Lawrence is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental studies and international affairs. The residential campus sits in a small college town in northern New York near the Adirondacks.
- SAT Range 1255-1420
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 54%
- Net Price $33,216
Ohio Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Delaware, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Ohio Wesleyan is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate zoology, economics, and international studies. Most undergrads live on a residential campus in Delaware, a small city north of Columbus.
- SAT Range 1105-1350
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $23,006
Dickinson College
- Private 4 Year
- Carlisle, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Dickinson is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate international studies, foreign languages, and environmental science. The historic campus sits in the small college town of Carlisle in central Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1310-1460
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $38,483
Juniata College
- Private 4 Year
- Huntingdon, PA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Mar 15 application deadline
Juniata is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate natural sciences and its Program of Emphasis, which lets students design individualized majors. The residential campus sits in the small town of Huntingdon along the Juniata River.
- SAT Range 1130-1320
- Avg GPA 3.81
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $24,580
Muhlenberg College
- Private 4 Year
- Allentown, PA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Muhlenberg is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate theater, biology, and media and communication. The residential campus sits in Allentown in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.
- SAT Range 1250-1410
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $34,739
Villanova University
- Private 4 Year
- Villanova, PA
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Villanova is a highly selective private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and engineering. The suburban campus sits on Philadelphia's Main Line.
- SAT Range 1395-1510
- Avg GPA 3.87
- Acceptance Rate 27%
- Net Price $37,201
Wofford College
- Private 4 Year
- Spartanburg, SC
-
3.1 | 8 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Wofford is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology, finance, and government. The historic campus in Spartanburg has a large Greek system.
- SAT Range 1198-1343
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 52%
- Net Price $30,481
The University of the South
- Private 4 Year
- Sewanee, TN
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Sewanee is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate English, creative writing, and environmental studies. The campus occupies a 13,000-acre domain on Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau.
- SAT Range 1260-1390
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $34,815
Westminster University
- Private 4 Year
- Salt Lake City, UT
-
| 0 reviews
Westminster is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and health sciences. The urban campus sits near the Wasatch Mountains in Salt Lake City.
- SAT Range 1070-1310
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 67%
- Net Price $26,844
Fresno Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- Fresno, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fresno Pacific is a private Christian university known for undergraduate teacher education and nursing. The campus is located in Fresno in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range 970-1240
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 64%
- Net Price $15,261
University of Redlands
- Private 4 Year
- Redlands, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
University of Redlands is a private university known for undergraduate music, business, and the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies. The residential campus sits in Redlands in Southern California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range 1107-1350
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $28,482
Westmont College
- Private 4 Year
- Santa Barbara, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Westmont is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate programs in the sciences and humanities. The residential hillside campus overlooks the Pacific Ocean above Santa Barbara.
- SAT Range 1240-1450
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $32,172
Regis University
- Private 4 Year
- Denver, CO
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Regis is a private Jesuit university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The urban campus is in northwest Denver.
- SAT Range 1020-1220
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $21,618
University of Georgia
- Public 4 Year
- Athens, GA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jan 1 application deadline
UGA is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, business, and agricultural sciences. The historic campus anchors the college town of Athens.
- SAT Range 1270-1480
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $16,662
Augustana College
- Private 4 Year
- Rock Island, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Augustana is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology and music. The campus sits along the Mississippi River in Rock Island.
- SAT Range 1030-1270
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $24,714
Knox College
- Private 4 Year
- Galesburg, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Knox is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate creative writing and the sciences. The historic campus in Galesburg includes Old Main, site of an 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debate.
- SAT Range 1180-1440
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $25,709
Dominican University
- Private 4 Year
- River Forest, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 31 application deadline
Dominican is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The suburban River Forest campus sits just west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 880-1100
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $13,402
University of Illinois Springfield
- Public 4 Year
- Springfield, IL
-
| 0 reviews
UIS is a public university known for undergraduate public affairs, political science, and computer science. The campus is in Springfield, Illinois's state capital.
- SAT Range 940-1200
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $10,809