Best Value Colleges (2026)
These colleges offer the best return on investment — low net costs with strong graduate earnings. All data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Showing top 50 of 420 qualifying colleges
420
Qualifying Colleges
$16,437
Avg Net Price
41%
Avg Acceptance Rate
$84,006
Avg Graduate Earnings
Top 6 — Best Value Colleges (2026)
Full Rankings — Top 50
Cambridge, MA · Private
$19,813 → $143,372/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Atlanta, GA · Public
$13,289 → $102,772/yr
Net Price / Earnings
New York, NY · Private
$20,148 → $102,491/yr
Net Price / Earnings
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
$15,624 → $90,768/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Charlottesville, VA · Public
$22,881 → $86,863/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Daytona Beach, FL · Private
$19,733 → $84,131/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Rolla, MO · Public
$13,773 → $82,957/yr
Net Price / Earnings
College Park, MD · Public
$15,590 → $82,860/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Los Angeles, CA · Public
$14,013 → $82,511/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Blacksburg, VA · Public
$23,790 → $81,698/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Champaign, IL · Public
$15,201 → $81,054/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Seattle, WA · Public
$13,485 → $78,466/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Bothell, WA · Public
$10,898 → $78,466/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Santa Barbara, CA · Public
$13,825 → $74,915/yr
Net Price / Earnings
New Brunswick, NJ · Public
$23,519 → $74,479/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Chapel Hill, NC · Public
$12,983 → $72,200/yr
Net Price / Earnings
College Station, TX · Public
$20,924 → $72,097/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Pomona, CA · Public
$11,580 → $71,902/yr
Net Price / Earnings
Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Rankings do not reflect editorial opinion and are generated algorithmically based on publicly available outcomes data.