Cheapest Colleges for Low-Income Families

Four-year colleges ranked by the average net price actually paid by students from families earning under $30,000 a year — total cost minus all grant and scholarship aid (College Scorecard). Sticker price lies: need-blind schools that meet full need can cost a low-income family almost nothing, while a cheap-sticker school with little aid costs more. This page lists all 1,192 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania-$3,0125%1553$29k$111k97%10,6503 mi 2Williams CollegeWilliamstown, Massachusetts-$2,6108%1533$18k$89k94%2,07698 mi 3Stanford UniversityStanford, California-$2,5364%1553$14k$124k92%7,5544 mi 4Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts-$2,5335%1560$20k$143k96%4,5352 mi 5Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, Virginia-$1,77714%1498$24k$95k94%1,881121 mi 6University of ChicagoChicago, Illinois-$1,2644%1554$15k$92k96%7,5691 mi 7Indiana University-KokomoKokomo, Indiana-$58386%1065$4k$50k46%2,35296 mi 8Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island-$4205%1546$25k$93k96%7,2261 mi 9Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey$415%1553$6k$110k98%5,70922 mi 10Dartmouth CollegeHanover, New Hampshire$415%1534$30k$97k96%4,54188 mi 11Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland$4286%1553$19k$88k94%5,6935 mi 12CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNew York, New York$60748%1280$3k$76k72%16,1541 mi 13Duke UniversityDurham, North Carolina$7356%1548$30k$98k97%6,442111 mi 14CUNY Hunter CollegeNew York, New York$1,02954%1280$3k$63k57%16,2891 mi 15CUNY Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, New York$1,02958%1140$3k$61k54%10,5433 mi 16University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan$1,04316%1465$13k$84k93%34,17730 mi 17CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, New York$1,07357%1080$3k$56k56%11,590< 1 mi 18Amherst CollegeAmherst, Massachusetts$1,0869%1533$23k$78k94%1,91169 mi 19CUNY City CollegeNew York, New York$1,25160%1260$4k$66k57%12,505< 1 mi 20Smith CollegeNorthampton, Massachusetts$1,36321%1500$28k$64k89%2,54467 mi 21Indiana University-NorthwestGary, Indiana$1,41973%1055$5k$43k37%2,6615 mi 22Purdue University NorthwestHammond, Indiana$1,43272%1024$6k$48k43%5,6715 mi 23University of Florida-OnlineGainesville, Florida$1,47761%1338$5k$72k85%4,62743 mi 24University of Michigan-FlintFlint, Michigan$1,51770%1102$7k$53k40%4,41141 mi 25CUNY Queens CollegeQueens, New York$1,54164%1120$4k$63k53%12,5503 mi 26CUNY Lehman CollegeBronx, New York$1,58957%970$3k$58k51%10,6961 mi 27Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, Missouri$1,71612%1530$22k$86k94%7,857258 mi 28Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois$1,7648%1533$29k$89k95%9,2011 mi 29Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York$1,7769%1535$29k$104k95%15,99561 mi 30University of FloridaGainesville, Florida$1,98224%1403$7k$72k91%35,62942 mi 31University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North Carolina$2,00415%1439$12k$72k91%20,752115 mi 32University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois$2,03842%1440$14k$81k85%36,258115 mi 33Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, Michigan$2,04592%1258$14k$78k68%5,9551 mi 34Northeastern UniversityBoston, Massachusetts$2,2645%1497$31k$93k91%17,3262 mi 35Bates CollegeLewiston, Maine$2,39713%1468$29k$69k90%1,76018 mi 36Wellesley CollegeWellesley, Massachusetts$2,54614%1520$25k$85k92%2,30013 mi 37Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, Michigan$2,55691%1012$9k$55k47%8,10648 mi 38Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, Kentucky$2,60368%1087$8k$50k52%8,246184 mi 39California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, California$2,68194%—$5k$60k55%15,02352 mi 40CUNY York CollegeJamaica, New York$2,86164%880$4k$57k32%4,3454 mi 41California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California$2,87791%—$4k$59k53%19,56218 mi 42St. Mary's College of MarylandSt. Mary's City, Maryland$2,88969%1261$18k$60k70%1,603< 1 mi 43Texas A&M University-Central TexasKilleen, Texas$2,949100%—$1k——1,750174 mi 44University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, Maryland$2,96245%1473$16k$83k89%30,7609 mi 45Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, Florida$3,02266%1127$9k$57k63%23,7572 mi 46Strayer University-TennesseeNashville, Tennessee$3,078——$12k$40k0%1,784319 mi 47Texas A & M International UniversityLaredo, Texas$3,09744%993$4k$48k46%6,667102 mi 48William & MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia$3,10634%1473$19k$73k89%7,0553 mi 49Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, Maine$3,1457%1520$14k$83k95%1,8733 mi 50California State University-FullertonFullerton, California$3,31591%—$7k$63k70%38,54616 mi 51Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee$3,4146%1549$16k$92k94%7,208380 mi 52Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, Michigan$3,516——$13k$49k51%1,3256 mi 53California State University-BakersfieldBakersfield, California$3,53694%—$6k$59k50%8,57770 mi 54Eastern New Mexico University-Main CampusPortales, New Mexico$3,66392%964$5k$39k45%3,357545 mi 55Indiana University-SoutheastNew Albany, Indiana$3,78284%1072$8k$48k39%3,170239 mi 56The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, Texas$3,78594%985$5k$50k51%28,66645 mi 57CUNY New York City College of TechnologyBrooklyn, New York$3,81080%1010$5k$49k21%13,580< 1 mi 58College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, New York$3,90392%1040$6k$54k34%9,6572 mi 59Uta Mesivta of Kiryas JoelMonroe, New York$3,915——$4k$32k70%2,95710 mi 60California State University-StanislausTurlock, California$3,93898%—$6k$63k53%8,38546 mi 61Dalton State CollegeDalton, Georgia$3,962——$5k$40k25%4,553284 mi 62Colby CollegeWaterville, Maine$4,0497%1501$17k$80k89%2,40735 mi 63University of South FloridaTampa, Florida$4,12243%1227$10k$58k77%37,2079 mi 64University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin$4,20045%1427$17k$74k90%36,90276 mi 65Elizabeth City State UniversityElizabeth City, North Carolina$4,24664%1019$6k$40k44%1,9751 mi 66Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, Massachusetts$4,28416%1507$42k$104k91%10,0856 mi 67Abraham Baldwin Agricultural CollegeTifton, Georgia$4,32376%990$7k$35k36%3,20899 mi 68CUNY Medgar Evers CollegeBrooklyn, New York$4,36886%920$6k$46k20%3,2333 mi 69Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, Michigan$4,42288%1120$9k$59k58%12,35126 mi 70University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, Washington$4,45883%—$10k$78k63%4,1851 mi 71Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, New York$4,5704%1553$22k$102k96%8,973< 1 mi 72University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies OnlineManchester, New Hampshire$4,587——$11k$66k30%1,15733 mi 73Indiana University-South BendSouth Bend, Indiana$4,63784%1081$9k$45k40%3,93327 mi 74Marshall UniversityHuntington, West Virginia$4,64896%1061$8k$46k51%7,266205 mi 75University of North Texas at DallasDallas, Texas$4,71384%940$6k—42%2,878226 mi 76University of West FloridaPensacola, Florida$4,81558%1138$9k$49k59%9,3302 mi 77Pomona CollegeClaremont, California$4,8417%1534$19k$78k93%1,66633 mi 78Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, Connecticut$4,87116%1501$30k$74k93%3,06719 mi 79Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, Ohio$4,88561%1387$17k$60k88%45,63899 mi 80California State University-NorthridgeNorthridge, California$4,90593%—$7k$59k57%32,69114 mi 81Farmingdale State CollegeFarmingdale, New York$4,93363%1147$11k$70k53%9,5527 mi 82Louisiana State University at AlexandriaAlexandria, Louisiana$5,00892%1022$7k$42k34%5,63297 mi 83Georgetown UniversityWashington, District of Columbia$5,06413%1487$41k$103k95%7,5691 mi 84University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyBaltimore, Maryland$5,08772%1323$16k$70k70%10,7015 mi 85Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana$5,09850%1364$15k$72k83%44,50385 mi 86California State University-FresnoFresno, California$5,10595%—$7k$61k57%21,605112 mi 87Indiana University-EastRichmond, Indiana$5,15467%1061$8k$47k40%2,589146 mi 88Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversityDurant, Oklahoma$5,19376%1087$8k$45k32%3,018304 mi 89Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, Michigan$5,26385%—$15k$54k58%12,56836 mi 90University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California$5,31111%—$13k$92k93%33,0682 mi 91Texas A&M University-VictoriaVictoria, Texas$5,31796%—$8k$54k26%2,51321 mi 92Berea CollegeBerea, Kentucky$5,42819%1249$6k$43k58%1,513277 mi 93University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, Washington$5,57391%—$12k$78k65%5,4579 mi 94University of TulsaTulsa, Oklahoma$5,57862%1389$15k$61k72%2,813443 mi 95University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California$5,5799%—$13k$83k93%33,4755 mi 96Louisiana State University-ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana$5,68051%1090$7k$47k38%2,153169 mi

US Department of Education College Scorecard. Missing or suppressed values are excluded. A ranking is a comparison of the named measure, not an overall quality score.