Best Value Colleges & Universities in America by Academic Quality per Dollar

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

U.S. Academic Quality per Dollar Ranking

Best Value Colleges in America by Academic Quality per Dollar