by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking is part of that endeavor. A school that typically has a high sticker price may actually be very affordable, depending on how much need-based financial aid you receive.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 2,198 schools in the United States to determine which ones have the best value programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking, we first look at its average net price of a student coming from a family that makes $0-$30k a year. The net price is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that the student receives. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
We go into more detail on these factors on our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology tops this year’s ranking as the best value (income $0-$30k) school in the United States for overall quality. MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has a fairly large student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Massachusetts.
Learn More About Value at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The quality degree programs at University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k). Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the school is a large private not-for-profit institution.
Not only is University of Pennsylvania a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Pennsylvania for overall quality.
Out of the 2,198 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Stanford University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of California.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) list. Located in New York, New York, the school is a large private not-for-profit institution.
Not only is Columbia University in the City of New York a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in New York for overall quality.
Read full value report on Columbia University in the City of New York
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Baltimore, Maryland.
Not only is Johns Hopkins University a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Maryland for overall quality.
With a ranking of #6, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) list. Claremont McKenna College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Claremont, California.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Claremont McKenna College is ranked #4 for quality in the state of California. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $249.
Harvard University landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Harvard University is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Massachusetts. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,754.
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking, coming in at #8. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois.
Not only is University of Chicago a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Illinois for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $2,993.
Yale University landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, the school is a fairly large private not-for-profit institution.
Yale University has the honor of being ranked #1 in Connecticut for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,717.
Georgetown University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking, coming in at #10. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Georgetown University has the honor of being ranked #1 in District of Columbia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $596.
Duke University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina.
Duke University has the honor of being ranked #1 in North Carolina for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $2,945.
Cornell University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking, coming in at #12. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Ithaca, New York.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Cornell University is ranked #2 for quality in the state of New York. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $1,862.
Washington University in St Louis landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Washington University in St Louis has the honor of being ranked #1 in Missouri for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,263.
University of Florida did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking, coming in at #14. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and has a large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Florida is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Florida.
Williams College landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
Not only is Williams College a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Massachusetts for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $718.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor has the honor of being ranked #1 in Michigan for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,692.
Read full value report on University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Michigan State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. This large public school is located in East Lansing, Michigan.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Michigan State University is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Michigan. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $129.
Vanderbilt University landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Nashville, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Vanderbilt University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,752.
Princeton University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey.
Not only is Princeton University a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in New Jersey for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,761.
Brown University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, the school is a fairly large private not-for-profit institution.
Not only is Brown University a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Rhode Island for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,849.
Rice University landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas.
Rice University has the honor of being ranked #1 in Texas for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,578.
With a ranking of #22, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and has a large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Wisconsin - Madison is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Wisconsin. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $3,753.
With a ranking of #23, did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) list.
Washington and Lee University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking, coming in at #24. Washington and Lee is located in Lexington, Virginia and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Washington and Lee University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Virginia for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $769.
With a ranking of #25, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Purdue University - Main Campus has the honor of being ranked #2 in Indiana for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $3,709.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN | Value Report |
| 52 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | Value Report |
| 52 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA | Value Report |
| 54 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT | Value Report |
| 55 | Golden West College | Huntington Beach, CA | Value Report |
| 56 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA | Value Report |
| 57 | Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA | Value Report |
| 58 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN | Value Report |
| 59 | Lee College | Baytown, TX | Value Report |
| 60 | Fashion Institute of Technology | New York, NY | Value Report |
| 61 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC | Value Report |
| 62 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA | Value Report |
| 63 | South Texas College | McAllen, TX | Value Report |
| 64 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA | Value Report |
| 65 | Tufts University | Medford, MA | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 314 | City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College | Chicago, IL | Value Report |
| 317 | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | Value Report |
| 318 | Western Technical College | La Crosse, WI | Value Report |
| 319 | Mt. San Jacinto College | San Jacinto, CA | Value Report |
| 320 | Hinds Community College | Raymond, MS | Value Report |
| 321 | Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO | Value Report |
| 322 | Rutgers University - Newark | Newark, NJ | Value Report |
| 323 | Seattle Central College | Seattle, WA | Value Report |
| 324 | University of California - Merced | Merced, CA | Value Report |
| 325 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI | Value Report |
| 326 | Kent State University at Stark | North Canton, OH | Value Report |
| 327 | Lorain County Community College | Elyria, OH | Value Report |
| 328 | Truckee Meadows Community College | Reno, NV | Value Report |
| 328 | College of the Sequoias | Visalia, CA | Value Report |
| 330 | Midland College | Midland, TX | Value Report |
All Majors and Fields of Study >
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 331 | Brandeis University | Waltham, MA | Value Report |
| 332 | Florence-Darlington Technical College | Florence, SC | Value Report |
| 333 | Heritage University | Toppenish, WA | Value Report |
| 334 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY | Value Report |
| 335 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | Value Report |
| 336 | Palo Alto College | San Antonio, TX | Value Report |
| 337 | St Cloud Technical and Community College | Saint Cloud, MN | Value Report |
| 338 | Sewanee - The University of the South | Sewanee, TN | Value Report |
| 339 | Georgia Highlands College | Rome, GA | Value Report |
| 339 | Chesapeake College | Wye Mills, MD | Value Report |
| 341 | Chipola College | Marianna, FL | Value Report |
| 342 | University of Wisconsin - River Falls | River Falls, WI | Value Report |
| 343 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA | Value Report |
| 344 | Hagerstown Community College | Hagerstown, MD | Value Report |
| 345 | Community College of Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 426 | Central Carolina Community College | Sanford, NC | Value Report |
| 426 | Orange County Community College | Middletown, NY | Value Report |
| 426 | University of Puget Sound | Tacoma, WA | Value Report |
| 429 | Baltimore City Community College | Baltimore, MD | Value Report |
| 430 | Cape Fear Community College | Wilmington, NC | Value Report |
| 431 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu, HI | Value Report |
| 432 | Bridgewater State University | Bridgewater, MA | Value Report |
| 433 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT | Value Report |
| 434 | GateWay Community College | Phoenix, AZ | Value Report |
| 434 | Odessa College | Odessa, TX | Value Report |
| 436 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver, CO | Value Report |
| 437 | Century College | White Bear Lake, MN | Value Report |
| 438 | Lone Star College System | The Woodlands, TX | Value Report |
| 438 | College of the Mainland | Texas City, TX | Value Report |
| 440 | Quinsigamond Community College | Worcester, MA | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
