The Best Value Colleges in America by Academic Quality per Dollar for 2021
These colleges are CollegeCalc's 2021 ranking of the best value colleges in America based on academic value per tuition dollar. While many of these schools don't have low list prices, attractive net prices through generous financial aid combined with academic excellence offer students great returns on investment. In order to be considered, schools must possess high academic standing coupled with costs commensurate to the education provided. Harvard University leads the list with a 98/100 academic rating and a $18,030 average net price.
Academic Rating is a CollegeCalc rating of a college's overall academics and effectiveness. The score ranges from zero to one hundred, with fifty being the median for all eligible colleges. Dollar value is a measure of a school's academic rating compared with the average price paid by students. Colleges which are ranked "n/a" didn't report sufficient data to formulate a score. Learn more about our rating methodology.
All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's 2019/2020 IPEDS Survey and reflect reported costs for the 2019/2020 academic year.
| College | Net Price | Rating | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
#1 Harvard UniversityMassachusetts, Private |
$18,030 | 98 | 100 |
#2 Stanford UniversityCalifornia, Private |
$16,779 | 99 | 99 |
#3 Yale UniversityConnecticut, Private |
$18,073 | 98 | 99 |
#4 Amherst CollegeMassachusetts, Private |
$16,339 | 96 | 99 |
#5 Williams CollegeMassachusetts, Private |
$17,303 | 97 | 99 |
#6 Princeton UniversityNew Jersey, Private |
$18,712 | 99 | 99 |
#7 Pomona CollegeCalifornia, Private |
$18,500 | 96 | 99 |
#8 Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts, Private |
$20,465 | 98 | 99 |
#9 Wellesley CollegeMassachusetts, Private |
$19,805 | 95 | 99 |
#10 Rice UniversityTexas, Private |
$20,335 | 98 | 99 |
#11 Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, Private |
$21,828 | 96 | 99 |
#12 University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth Carolina, Public |
$10,085 | 88 | 99 |
#13 Colby CollegeMaine, Private |
$19,592 | 91 | 98 |
#14 Duke UniversityNorth Carolina, Private |
$24,386 | 99 | 98 |
#15 Swarthmore CollegePennsylvania, Private |
$19,759 | 92 | 98 |
#16 Dartmouth CollegeNew Hampshire, Private |
$23,869 | 97 | 98 |
#17 University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania, Private |
$24,771 | 96 | 98 |
#18 Claremont McKenna CollegeCalifornia, Private |
$24,456 | 96 | 98 |
#19 Northwestern UniversityIllinois, Private |
$26,196 | 97 | 98 |
#20 University of MichiganMichigan, Public |
$17,357 | 91 | 98 |