U.S. Academic Quality per Dollar Ranking

The Best Value Colleges in America by Academic Quality per Dollar for 2023

Best Value Colleges in America by Academic Quality per Dollar

These colleges are CollegeCalc's 2022 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. Yale University leads the list with a 98/100 academic rating and a $17,511 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 2021/2022 IPEDS Survey and reflect reported costs for the 2021/2022 academic year.

America's Best Value Colleges by Academic Quality per Dollar
College Net Price Rating Value
#21 Emory University

Georgia, Private

$25,672 94 97
#22 Northwestern University

Illinois, Private

$28,344 96 97
#23 Hamilton College

New York, Private

$23,936 94 97
#24 Vanderbilt University

Tennessee, Private

$25,804 96 97
#25 University of Florida

Florida, Public

$10,075 82 97
#26 Washington University in St Louis

Missouri, Private

$27,233 96 97
#27 Colgate University

New York, Private

$25,935 93 97
#28 Haverford College

Pennsylvania, Private

$25,215 92 96
#29 Brown University

Rhode Island, Private

$27,659 97 97
#30 Middlebury College

Vermont, Private

$24,517 93 97
#31 Trinity College

Connecticut, Private

$26,233 90 96
#32 Cornell University

New York, Private

$27,522 96 96
#33 University of Virginia Main Campus

Virginia, Public

$19,043 86 96
#34 Washington and Lee University

Virginia, Private

$27,148 93 96
#35 Pomona College

California, Private

$30,392 96 96
#36 Vassar College

New York, Private

$26,028 90 96
#37 University of Richmond

Virginia, Private

$25,700 90 96
#38 University of California Irvine

California, Public

$13,106 81 95
#39 University of Notre Dame

Indiana, Private

$29,981 93 95
#40 Skidmore College

New York, Private

$26,995 88 95