Ranked

916 uS universities where fewest students need loans

Share of students taking federal loans, lowest first — strong aid, low price, or both.

#UniversityIn-stateCost of attendance BorrowPaying downSATAcceptance
401 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, Illinois $56,420 $75,625 37% 61% — 77%
402 University of Vermont Burlington, Vermont $19,058 $35,649 37% 81% 1374 65%
403 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, New Jersey $16,777 $29,483 38% 73% 1211 71%
404 Frostburg State University Frostburg, Maryland $10,220 $27,056 38% 58% — 89%
405 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts $64,500 $80,334 38% 87% 1353 18%
406 Antioch University - Los Angeles Culver City, California — — 38% 46% — —
407 Columbus State University Columbus, Georgia $5,898 $21,676 38% 38% 977 99%
408 Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan $15,190 $27,350 38% 38% 1156 81%
409 University of Memphis Memphis, Tennessee $10,728 $25,169 38% 38% 1088 72%
410 Ashland University Ashland, Ohio $31,210 $43,434 38% 68% 1120 76%
411 Texas Woman's University Denton, Texas $8,640 $22,234 38% 55% — 96%
412 American University Washington, District of Columbia $58,771 $76,058 38% 79% 1381 62%
413 University of Baltimore Baltimore, Maryland $9,992 $26,406 38% 43% 940 79%
414 College of Charleston Charleston, South Carolina $12,978 $32,362 38% 60% 1247 60%
415 Texas A&M University - Kingsville Kingsville, Texas $9,892 $24,060 38% 48% 1050 91%
416 University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana $37,200 $52,590 38% 52% — 67%
417 University of Idaho Moscow, Idaho $9,084 $23,738 38% 62% 1116 76%
418 Gallaudet University Washington, District of Columbia $19,654 $40,374 38% 56% 868 58%
419 Bethel University McKenzie, Tennessee $18,712 $31,203 38% 34% 972 60%
420 Nicholls State University Thibodaux, Louisiana $8,149 $23,481 38% 68% 1090 91%
421 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, Illinois $12,922 $28,919 38% 58% 1100 98%
422 Marquette University Milwaukee, Wisconsin $51,170 $66,768 38% 80% 1310 81%
423 Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio $11,113 $21,708 38% 39% 1120 84%
424 Governors State University University Park, Illinois $12,004 $24,227 38% 45% — 48%
425 Dickinson College Carlisle, Pennsylvania $65,650 $82,902 39% 88% 1391 42%
426 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, North Carolina $7,501 $21,685 39% 60% 1251 92%
427 Shawnee State University Portsmouth, Ohio $10,626 $21,974 39% 37% — —
428 University of Portland Portland, Oregon $58,100 $73,224 39% 87% 1277 89%
429 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, Mississippi $10,202 $29,267 39% 63% 1219 78%
430 East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina $7,361 $23,867 39% 63% 1180 89%
431 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, New York $71,030 $87,419 39% 93% 1494 19%
432 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia $16,945 $38,954 39% 57% 1137 93%
433 Trine University Angola, Indiana $36,560 $51,109 39% 63% — 85%
434 SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, New York $8,589 $29,786 39% 80% 1214 72%
435 Campbell University Buies Creek, North Carolina $41,600 $62,187 39% 57% — 87%
436 University of Maine at Farmington Farmington, Maine $11,308 $25,822 39% 65% 1130 97%
437 Salisbury University Salisbury, Maryland $11,084 $28,310 39% 68% 1252 87%
438 Huntington University Huntington, Indiana $31,870 $42,157 39% 76% 1052 76%
439 University of Arkansas - Monticello Monticello, Arkansas $9,292 $22,519 39% 45% — —
440 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina $7,239 $23,010 39% 59% 1231 80%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
School of the Art Institute of Chicago — 37% of students taking federal loans.
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 Cheapest tuition Most expensive Best loan repayment Highest SAT Highest acceptance

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