Ranked

888 uS universities with the lowest tuition

Published in-state tuition, lowest first. The sticker price is not what most families pay — the net price by income sits on each university page.

#UniversityIn-stateCost of attendance BorrowPaying downSATAcceptance
401 Winthrop University Rock Hill, South Carolina $14,678 $30,710 54% 49% 1139 79%
402 University of Michigan–Flint Flint, Michigan $14,704 $20,915 43% 41% 1102 70%
403 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, Michigan $14,760 $30,681 69% 56% 1091 90%
404 University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Bradford, Pennsylvania $14,770 $30,478 62% 75% 1125 89%
405 Ferris State University Big Rapids, Michigan $14,778 $27,048 43% 59% 1012 91%
406 Keene State College Keene, New Hampshire $14,784 $29,993 67% 74% — 90%
407 Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, Michigan $14,890 $27,154 37% 62% — —
408 University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Johnstown, Pennsylvania $14,906 $30,349 58% 75% 1105 95%
409 Goldey-Beacom College Wilmington, Delaware $14,940 $26,502 34% 52% — 85%
410 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, Missouri $14,984 $29,231 40% 81% 1317 73%
411 Grand Valley State University Allendale, Michigan $15,140 $28,367 50% 64% 1074 83%
412 Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan $15,190 $27,350 38% 38% 1156 81%
413 University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California $15,203 $38,614 19% 79% — 9%
414 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan $15,252 $29,237 47% 56% — 85%
415 Oakland University Rochester Hills, Michigan $15,262 $25,182 37% 53% 1120 88%
416 Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois $15,264 $28,254 32% 59% — 71%
417 Lionel University Carpinteria, California $15,265 $31,812 66% — — —
418 St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, Maryland $15,298 $31,865 43% 80% 1261 69%
419 North American University Stafford, Texas $15,436 $27,981 33% 16% — —
420 University of the West Rosemead, California $15,446 $21,278 19% — — 100%
421 Sullivan University Louisville, Kentucky $15,480 $31,766 62% 32% — —
422 Clemson University Clemson, South Carolina $15,554 $35,015 31% 78% 1353 38%
423 University of California, Riverside Riverside, California $15,606 $38,942 31% 67% — 76%
424 University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth North Dartmouth, Massachusetts $15,612 $33,485 64% 66% 1182 91%
425 University of California, Merced Merced, California $15,623 $39,665 29% 65% — 91%
426 University of Michigan - Dearborn Dearborn, Michigan $15,640 $24,040 36% 47% 1115 56%
427 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado $15,666 $37,684 25% 74% 1357 78%
428 University of California, Irvine Irvine, California $15,722 $38,632 20% 78% — 29%
429 Longwood University Farmville, Virginia $15,744 $34,588 46% 74% 1120 90%
430 University of Massachusetts Boston Boston, Massachusetts $15,908 $30,544 51% 60% 1194 84%
431 Montclair State University Montclair, New Jersey $15,912 $28,305 41% 65% 1070 88%
432 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois $16,004 $33,642 27% 79% 1440 42%
433 University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, California $16,005 $41,179 28% 75% — 66%
434 National American University-Rapid City Rapid City, South Dakota $16,065 $34,452 54% 24% — —
435 Bridgewater College Bridgewater, Virginia $16,090 $58,702 60% 75% 1180 92%
436 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon $16,137 $34,793 29% 62% 1272 88%
437 Illinois State University Normal, Illinois $16,144 $34,309 43% 74% 1113 88%
438 Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, Michigan $16,240 $29,640 43% 44% 1066 80%
439 Bryant & Stratton College-Online Orchard Park, New York $16,299 $21,430 82% 19% — —
440 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California $16,347 $45,619 17% 80% — 11%

Questions

Cheapest tuition in the US: which university leads?
Winthrop University — $14,678 in-state tuition.
Where does this data come from?
The US Department of Education College Scorecard, which publishes what institutions charge, what students borrow and repay, and the test scores of admitted students. Nothing here is estimated — universities without a published figure are left out of the ranking.
Is the cheapest university the best value?
Not necessarily. Price is one half of value; the other is what graduates earn and whether they clear the debt. Each university page links to its earnings and repayment record.
All university data Most expensive Best loan repayment Fewest borrowers Highest SAT Highest acceptance

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Universities without a published figure for the ranked measure are not listed.