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
521 Spelman College Atlanta, Georgia $31,556 $50,952 48% 42% 1220 25%
522 Webster University Saint Louis, Missouri $31,750 $51,188 46% 56% 1102 86%
523 John Brown University Siloam Springs, Arkansas $31,756 $44,710 33% 75% 1195 76%
524 Davis & Elkins College Elkins, West Virginia $31,820 $44,888 63% 55% — 94%
525 Thomas College Waterville, Maine $31,824 $47,198 33% 65% — 96%
526 Huntington University Huntington, Indiana $31,870 $42,157 39% 76% 1052 76%
527 Our Lady of the Lake University San Antonio, Texas $32,106 $42,865 59% 48% — —
528 Young Harris College Young Harris, Georgia $32,305 $48,301 33% 59% — 63%
529 McMurry University Abilene, Texas $32,340 $43,778 29% 53% 1043 57%
530 Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion Marion, Indiana $32,352 $44,776 71% 54% 1082 89%
531 Hesston College Hesston, Kansas $32,936 $47,450 66% 69% — —
532 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, Michigan $32,946 $42,211 26% 69% 1134 75%
533 Hillsdale College Hillsdale, Michigan $33,189 — 0% — 1415 21%
534 Geneva College Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania $33,450 $45,407 78% 69% — —
535 Dakota Wesleyan University Mitchell, South Dakota $33,790 $43,864 73% 70% — 73%
536 Brenau University Gainesville, Georgia $34,027 $46,010 70% 45% 1079 88%
537 La Roche University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania $34,052 $47,111 19% 63% 1055 76%
538 Alverno College Milwaukee, Wisconsin $34,086 $51,362 47% 46% — 86%
539 Columbia College Chicago Chicago, Illinois $34,088 $51,889 56% 46% — 89%
540 West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West Virginia $34,090 $48,190 65% 64% 1052 93%
541 Friends University Wichita, Kansas $34,192 $50,482 58% 52% 1080 55%
542 Walla Walla University College Place, Washington $34,227 $45,903 47% 72% — —
543 Lesley University Cambridge, Massachusetts $34,256 $51,538 54% 63% — 97%
544 Barry University Miami, Florida $34,350 $50,778 44% 40% — 77%
545 Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu, Hawaii $34,392 $50,674 23% 63% 1111 86%
546 University of Tampa Tampa, Florida $34,408 $51,614 67% 65% — 40%
547 Canisius University Buffalo, New York $34,500 $44,322 53% 71% — 72%
548 Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, Kansas $34,630 $47,437 71% 58% — 72%
549 Tiffin University Tiffin, Ohio $34,790 $48,004 50% 23% 986 80%
550 Anderson University Anderson, South Carolina $34,970 $50,192 42% 58% 1202 55%
551 Andrews University Berrien Springs, Michigan $35,056 $45,218 31% 50% 1150 82%
552 Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, North Carolina $35,070 $45,542 70% 55% — 96%
553 Marian University Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin $35,178 $44,450 78% 61% — 75%
554 LaGrange College Lagrange, Georgia $35,400 $49,681 68% 58% — 62%
555 Oral Roberts University Tulsa, Oklahoma $35,470 $50,004 42% 63% 1196 99%
556 Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee, Oklahoma $35,570 $48,695 23% 70% 1024 49%
557 Rocky Mountain College Billings, Montana $35,582 $46,093 55% 65% 1083 70%
558 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma $35,648 $47,247 45% 72% 1177 77%
559 Prescott College Prescott, Arizona $35,685 $48,532 52% 53% — 95%
560 University of Bridgeport Bridgeport, Connecticut $35,760 $52,957 76% 50% — 83%

Questions

Cheapest tuition in the US: which university leads?
Spelman College — $31,556 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.