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
601 Ohio Northern University Ada, Ohio $39,800 $53,580 55% 85% 1252 74%
602 Loras College Dubuque, Iowa $39,824 $50,537 58% 83% — 100%
603 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, Ohio $39,832 $55,606 82% 67% 1194 76%
604 The Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, New York $39,850 $58,790 53% 75% 1060 91%
605 Samford University Birmingham, Alabama $40,150 $57,456 27% 78% 1201 82%
606 Augustana University Sioux Falls, South Dakota $40,160 $55,159 52% 83% 1195 68%
607 Dallas Baptist University Dallas, Texas $40,190 $52,716 32% 55% 1120 89%
608 Aquinas College Grand Rapids, Michigan $40,218 $51,652 69% 62% 1025 90%
609 Le Moyne College Syracuse, New York $40,330 $53,183 64% 68% 1255 83%
610 Seattle Pacific University Seattle, Washington $40,407 $56,826 49% 79% — 83%
611 Taylor University Upland, Indiana $40,490 $53,405 29% 81% 1220 74%
612 Stevenson University Owings Mills, Maryland $40,560 $58,394 70% 58% — 79%
613 Lipscomb University Nashville, Tennessee $40,572 $55,117 29% 69% 1256 68%
614 Gannon University Erie, Pennsylvania $40,656 $52,869 64% 67% — 74%
615 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, Iowa $40,878 $55,054 53% 73% — 83%
616 Marymount University Arlington, Virginia $40,920 $57,184 34% 66% — 93%
617 Rider University Lawrenceville, New Jersey $41,120 $55,967 58% 71% 1227 79%
618 University of Findlay Findlay, Ohio $41,164 $54,580 35% 71% — 83%
619 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana $41,200 $60,620 69% 72% 1144 56%
620 California Baptist University Riverside, California $41,228 $54,038 61% 54% — 85%
621 Colorado Christian University Lakewood, Colorado $41,342 $54,242 45% 49% — —
622 Guilford College Greensboro, North Carolina $41,362 $55,689 51% 51% 1105 80%
623 Marywood University Scranton, Pennsylvania $41,420 $55,582 81% 68% 1162 61%
624 Carroll College Helena, Montana $41,484 $55,626 45% 79% 1200 71%
625 Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, North Carolina $41,500 $56,966 53% 66% 1350 71%
626 Alfred University Alfred, New York $41,500 $57,445 64% 71% 1279 74%
627 Campbell University Buies Creek, North Carolina $41,600 $62,187 39% 57% — 87%
628 St. Bonaventure University Saint Bonaventure, New York $41,735 $57,271 93% 71% 1197 82%
629 Buena Vista University Storm Lake, Iowa $41,798 $54,222 67% 58% 1120 78%
630 Marymount Manhattan College New York, New York $41,870 $65,767 71% 58% 1214 83%
631 Hope College Holland, Michigan $41,970 $55,646 44% 81% 1249 79%
632 Midland University Fremont, Nebraska $42,050 $55,719 62% 64% 1086 66%
633 University of Dubuque Dubuque, Iowa $42,095 $53,806 70% 60% 1110 89%
634 Bradley University Peoria, Illinois $42,160 $54,730 63% 77% — 77%
635 Mercer University Macon, Georgia $42,312 $58,204 62% 47% 1271 69%
636 Saint Vincent College Latrobe, Pennsylvania $42,396 $56,752 82% 78% 1116 62%
637 Long Island University Brookville, New York $42,432 $55,424 29% 53% 1224 86%
638 Belmont University Nashville, Tennessee $42,540 $62,570 34% 76% 1280 95%
639 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts $42,884 $61,096 55% 83% 1229 91%
640 Capital University Columbus, Ohio $43,234 $57,130 63% 63% 1068 70%

Questions

Cheapest tuition in the US: which university leads?
Ohio Northern University — $39,800 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.