Best Value Eastern Colleges
There are 284 colleges in the East ranked by value using the same methodology as our national list. Rankings balance academic quality with the net price students typically pay.
Princeton University leads East value rankings for 2027 with a 10 out of 10 academic rating and an average net price of $15,313. The top value public university is University of Vermont. Also high value: Williams College, Harvard University and Amherst College.
Compare net price, aid, and academic ratings across the colleges below. See how value scores are calculated on our methodology page. Explore the regional list below or browse individual states.
The College of New Jersey
- Public 4 Year
- Ewing, NJ
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
TCNJ is a public college known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The suburban Ewing campus is primarily residential.
- SAT Range 1140-1340
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $25,580
Rochester Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Rochester, NY
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
RIT is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, computing, and photography. The suburban campus near Rochester includes the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
- SAT Range 1300-1460
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 67%
- Net Price $39,534
Sarah Lawrence College
- Private 4 Year
- Bronxville, NY
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Sarah Lawrence is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate creative writing, the arts, and conference-based individualized study. The suburban Bronxville campus sits just north of New York City.
- SAT Range 1240-1430
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $43,629
SUNY at Purchase College
- Public 4 Year
- Purchase, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Purchase is a public college known for undergraduate performing arts, visual arts, and film. The suburban Westchester campus sits near New York City.
- SAT Range 1185-1380
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $18,211
DeSales University
- Private 4 Year
- Center Valley, PA
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
DeSales is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate theatre, nursing, and business. The suburban campus is in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.
- SAT Range 1090-1260
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $31,732
Marywood University
- Private 4 Year
- Scranton, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Marywood is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate architecture, art and design, and social work. The residential campus sits in Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1060-1250
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $26,217
Messiah University
- Private 4 Year
- Mechanicsburg, PA
-
| 0 reviews
Messiah is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, engineering, and music. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in the Harrisburg suburbs.
- SAT Range 1110-1350
- Avg GPA 3.8
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $29,408
York College of Pennsylvania
- Private 4 Year
- York, PA
-
4.0 | 2 reviews
- Aug 23 application deadline
York College of Pennsylvania is a private college known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The campus is in the city of York in south-central Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1020-1270
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $20,096
Rhode Island School of Design
- Private 4 Year
- Providence, RI
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
RISD is a highly selective private art and design college known for undergraduate fine arts, industrial design, and architecture. The urban Providence campus borders Brown University and offers a dual-degree program with it.
- SAT Range 1396-1530
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 19%
- Net Price $43,492
University of Connecticut Stamford
- Public 4 Year
- Stamford, CT
-
| 0 reviews
UConn Stamford is a public regional campus known for undergraduate business and digital media. The urban campus sits in downtown Stamford.
- SAT Range 930-1260
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $15,566
Quinnipiac University
- Private 4 Year
- Hamden, CT
-
3.8 | 5 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Quinnipiac is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and communications. The suburban campus sits at the base of Sleeping Giant in Hamden.
- SAT Range 1150-1320
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $40,632
Emmanuel College
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
Emmanuel is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and the sciences. The Fenway campus shares classes and facilities with neighboring schools through a consortium.
- SAT Range 1170-1340
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $31,121
Gordon College
- Private 4 Year
- Wenham, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- Feb 1 application deadline
Gordon is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate music, education, and psychology. Most students live on a wooded residential campus in the small North Shore town of Wenham.
- SAT Range 1130-1355
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $25,299
Rowan University
- Public 4 Year
- Glassboro, NJ
-
2.7 | 6 reviews
Rowan is a public university known for undergraduate engineering and education. Glassboro is a South Jersey college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1110-1310
- Avg GPA 3.44
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $23,761
Stevens Institute of Technology
- Private 4 Year
- Hoboken, NJ
-
| 0 reviews
Stevens is a private technological university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and systems engineering. The compact Hoboken campus sits on the Hudson River waterfront facing the Manhattan skyline.
- SAT Range 1380-1505
- Avg GPA 3.88
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $46,165
Hartwick College
- Private 4 Year
- Oneonta, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Hartwick is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and the sciences. The hillside campus overlooks the college town of Oneonta in upstate New York.
- SAT Range 1070-1290
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $31,712
St. John's University New York
- Private 4 Year
- Queens, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
St. John's is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate pharmacy, business, and communications. The urban campus is in Queens in New York City.
- SAT Range 1150-1340
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $29,656
Cedar Crest College
- Private 4 Year
- Allentown, PA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Cedar Crest is a private women's college known for undergraduate nursing and forensic science. The suburban campus sits in Allentown in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.
- SAT Range 1000-1230
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $23,691