25 Best Value Colleges

This affordable accredited college accepts 61% of applicants, and tuition runs just $36,000 per year. Principia College students graduate with an average of $18,000 in student loans among students that do borrow, though many don't. This is accomplished through extensive help from the financial aid office, which awards students with many need-based and merit-based scholarships to help pay the way.

With a 10:1 student faculty ratio, Whitman College manages to be accessible, accepting 53% of applicants, while maintaining high standards of education for students. The average student debt upon graduation is just $17,700, markedly less than the $54,000 per year tuition might lead one to predict.

Goshen College is another accessible school, accepting 59% of applicants, while maintaining a reputation as one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. The total cost per year is lower than most schools of its kind, at just over $36,000 per year, and the average student debt upon graduation is just $16,700, which is $12,000 less than the national average.

The most accessible college on our list, Thomas Aquinas College accepts 78% of applicants. This shouldn't cause students pause however, as the college is highly regarded, ranked #81 among liberal arts colleges nationwide by U.S. News and World Report. Kiplinger ranks the school among the top best value schools in the country, with an average student debt of just over $16,500 upon graduation.

This college features a student to faculty ration of 8:1 which is low, even among the highest level liberal arts colleges. Such a low ratio means that tuition tends to be high, and tuition here is high at just over $58,000, which makes the average student debt even more incredible at just over $16,000. Haverford College boasts numerous Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Rhodes and Fulbright scholars. Students attending this college can expect the highest level of education, and the increased earning potential that comes with it, while not being saddled with high student debt.

With an average cost of $57,000 per year, the average student debt of Boston college is just over $20,000, well below the national average of $28,000. Boston College is one of the more accessible best value accredited private colleges with an admittance rate of 28%, so while it's not a sure thing for every student, this high quality college is more accessible than many top colleges.

This selective liberal arts college has one of the best reputations among the accredited best value schools. With a low average student loan debt of just over $18,000 in spite of its cost of nearly $60,000 per year in tuition, it's easy to see why Vassar College is considered such a good value. Students will enjoy an 8:1 student to faculty ratio, and all financial aid is need-based.

This public liberal arts college prides itself on offering an ivy league quality program for an affordable price while increasing accessibility. Room, board and tuition runs around $15,000 for in-state students, and $38,000 for non-residents. The average debt among New College of Florida students who borrowed money to fund their education still comes in under the national average, and considering the quality of the education, and its inclusion in the top three of the Princeton Review's best value colleges for five years running, this school is a top consideration for any student looking for good value, especially Florida residents.

Students attending The College of William and Mary may start out with tuition that seems high for a public university-$13,000. However, the university has a plan to offset the higher initial costs by freezing tuition for students at the cost of the year in which they enter the university, and by replacing up to 30% of what would have been loans with grants for middle income students. Students whose parents earn over $100,000 per year will still see 18% of what would have been loans replaced with grants. So overall, though the price may seem higher, the increase in grant funding for undergraduate students will cancel out the increased price, or even mean they graduate with significantly less debt than they would have under the old system.

The class of 2012 at Grinnell College had an average student debt of just $12,350 after loan reduction scholarships were awarded. This is roughly $16,000 under the national average student debt. This number is quite remarkable when considering the cost of the college-$53,000 for room, board and tuition. This is made possible by extensive efforts in the financial aid department, which is committed to reducing student debt as much as possible. Grinnell believes in providing students with all the hallmarks of a great education, without breaking their bank.

Another small, private liberal arts college, Claremont McKenna College is another institution that looks expensive on first glance (around $59,000 per year depending on which room and board options a student chooses). However, strong financial aid programs that include many scholarships and grants mean that only 35% of students must borrow money to attend, and among those students, the average student debt upon graduation is less than half the national average.

Hamilton College features strong career placement opportunities. Student debt is approximately just below the $28,000 national average, which is quite remarkable when one considers that the college is need-blind in admissions and promises to help meet 100% of student financial need. Loans are a part of how this need is met, but considering the cost of the college is well above the $32,000 national average among private universities, students do quite well to come in below the national average for loan debt, with a strong job expectation or a pathway to prestigious graduate programs.

U.S. News and World Report ranks The Citadel highly across the board. The Citadel has been ranked in the top ten best value schools in the south by the magazine consistently over the course of the last five years. This consistency is important as one does not just attend a college for one year. The consistent commitment to providing a high quality education and strong financial aid is what makes The Citadel a great choice for any student. The cost of tuition is between $21,000 and $25,000 per year depending on which year students are in. While military service is not require, there is a strong partnership between the school and armed services branches that offer strong financial support to those willing to commit to military service.

Ranked as the #7 best value college by Forbes, the College of Charleston was founded in 1770 and has a rich history of high quality education. The Forbes rankings are based on many factors but the most important of these are post-graduation success, student satisfaction, average student debt, and prestigious, financially significant scholarships won by students on average (which is the mark of a strong financial aid department). This public liberal arts university is considered one of the best of its kind and places a strong emphasis on affordability. Resident tuition is just $10,230.00, and non-resident tuition is still low, especially for a high quality liberal arts school, at $26,000.

This small liberal arts school boasts a 9:1 student to faculty ratio, and an average student debt that comes in well under the national average in spite of the school's tuition, which seems high at first glance. Wesleyan College is one of the most respected schools in the United States, and while the school is selective, it still accepts 24% of applicants, which makes it much more accessible than many of its similarly regarded peers.