The Best Value Colleges in America by Academic Quality per Dollar for 2022
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. Princeton University leads the list with a 99/100 academic rating and a $18,685 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 2020/2021 IPEDS Survey and reflect reported costs for the 2020/2021 academic year.
College | Net Price | Rating | Value |
---|---|---|---|
#21 Hamilton CollegeNew York, Private |
$23,936 | 94 | 97 |
#22 Vanderbilt UniversityTennessee, Private |
$25,804 | 96 | 98 |
#23 Northwestern UniversityIllinois, Private |
$28,344 | 96 | 97 |
#24 Washington University in St LouisMissouri, Private |
$27,233 | 96 | 97 |
#25 Brown UniversityRhode Island, Private |
$27,659 | 97 | 97 |
#26 Middlebury CollegeVermont, Private |
$24,517 | 94 | 97 |
#27 University of FloridaFlorida, Public |
$10,075 | 83 | 97 |
#28 Colgate UniversityNew York, Private |
$25,935 | 93 | 97 |
#29 Cornell UniversityNew York, Private |
$27,522 | 96 | 96 |
#30 Haverford CollegePennsylvania, Private |
$25,215 | 92 | 97 |
#31 Vassar CollegeNew York, Private |
$26,028 | 90 | 96 |
#32 University of RichmondVirginia, Private |
$25,700 | 91 | 96 |
#33 University of Virginia Main CampusVirginia, Public |
$19,043 | 86 | 96 |
#34 Washington and Lee UniversityVirginia, Private |
$27,148 | 93 | 96 |
#35 Barnard CollegeNew York, Private |
$30,572 | 94 | 96 |
#36 Davidson CollegeNorth Carolina, Private |
$28,615 | 92 | 96 |
#37 University of California IrvineCalifornia, Public |
$13,106 | 81 | 95 |
#38 Georgetown UniversityDistrict Of Columbia, Private |
$30,710 | 94 | 95 |
#39 University of Notre DameIndiana, Private |
$29,981 | 93 | 95 |
#40 Skidmore CollegeNew York, Private |
$26,995 | 87 | 95 |