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
441 University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California $16,414 $41,573 18% 75% — 33%
442 Wilberforce University Wilberforce, Ohio $16,448 $25,676 97% 36% — 41%
443 Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan $16,458 $32,198 34% 67% 1269 85%
444 University of California, San Diego La Jolla, California $16,758 $38,701 21% 82% — 27%
445 University of California Davis Davis, California $16,774 $41,238 20% 83% — 42%
446 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, New Jersey $16,777 $29,483 38% 73% 1211 71%
447 University of Delaware Newark, Delaware $16,810 $30,952 50% 80% 1292 71%
448 Christopher Newport University Newport News, Virginia $16,828 $33,766 37% 76% 1180 86%
449 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia $16,945 $38,954 39% 57% 1137 93%
450 University of Massachusetts at Lowell Lowell, Massachusetts $16,966 $30,786 53% 64% 1285 83%
451 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, New Hampshire $17,200 $40,918 58% 47% — 100%
452 Park University Parkville, Missouri $17,500 $29,427 31% 48% — —
453 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, Michigan $17,736 $34,654 24% 79% 1465 16%
454 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, Massachusetts $17,772 $34,549 47% 77% 1423 60%
455 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, Arizona $17,850 $32,702 53% 35% 1077 79%
456 South University-Savannah Online Savannah, Georgia $18,145 $34,298 73% 25% — —
457 Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, Pennsylvania $18,240 $33,192 60% 65% — —
458 ECPI University Virginia Beach, Virginia $18,484 $30,055 57% 33% — 75%
459 Bethel University McKenzie, Tennessee $18,712 $31,203 38% 34% 972 60%
460 University of Vermont Burlington, Vermont $19,058 $35,649 37% 81% 1374 65%
461 Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan $19,123 $34,152 46% 80% 1258 92%
462 University of Advancing Technology Tempe, Arizona $19,365 $32,794 68% 50% — 98%
463 Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa $19,475 $34,022 40% 50% 1090 96%
464 The College of New Jersey Ewing, New Jersey $19,632 $38,860 48% 84% 1246 62%
465 Gallaudet University Washington, District of Columbia $19,654 $40,374 38% 56% 868 58%
466 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, New Jersey $19,974 $32,859 31% 71% 1337 65%
467 William Jewell College Liberty, Missouri $20,610 $35,785 48% 77% 1095 38%
468 Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania $20,644 $39,694 40% 68% 1337 61%
469 Central College Pella, Iowa $20,988 $37,773 70% 77% 1147 86%
470 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, Virginia $21,046 $34,824 59% 84% 1244 71%
471 Johnson C. Smith University Charlotte, North Carolina $21,300 $34,923 75% 26% — 45%
472 Roosevelt University Chicago, Illinois $21,315 $35,332 54% 46% 1011 97%
473 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, Missouri $21,600 $35,436 49% 52% 1190 57%
474 Regent University Virginia Beach, Virginia $21,650 $32,838 57% 43% 1153 38%
475 University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, South Dakota $21,750 $34,274 67% 74% — 83%
476 University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia $21,803 $39,926 20% 86% 1480 17%
477 Colorado School of Mines Golden, Colorado $21,914 $40,560 32% 91% 1412 61%
478 Columbia College Columbia, South Carolina $22,214 $35,258 65% 44% — 94%
479 Liberty University Lynchburg, Virginia $22,465 $42,025 46% 37% — 99%
480 Oakwood University Huntsville, Alabama $22,512 $40,176 57% 28% — 45%

Questions

Cheapest tuition in the US: which university leads?
University of California, Santa Barbara — $16,414 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.