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
441 Fairmont State University Fairmont, West Virginia $8,708 $20,018 39% 45% 996 99%
442 Willamette University Salem, Oregon $51,156 $67,501 39% 78% 1377 77%
443 University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, Texas $9,011 $22,352 39% 55% 1105 87%
444 Rollins College Winter Park, Florida $60,580 $76,108 39% 56% 1271 48%
445 Marshall University Huntington, West Virginia $9,162 $22,022 40% 42% 1061 96%
446 Evergreen State College Olympia, Washington $9,264 $28,477 40% 55% 1216 96%
447 University at Buffalo Buffalo, New York $10,936 $30,785 40% 68% 1295 74%
448 University of Rochester Rochester, New York $67,080 $85,962 40% 80% 1488 40%
449 Reed College Portland, Oregon $69,350 $86,376 40% 85% 1437 25%
450 Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, Texas $10,580 $22,652 40% 55% 94%
451 Abilene Christian University Abilene, Texas $44,200 $59,256 40% 70% 1194 66%
452 Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania $20,644 $39,694 40% 68% 1337 61%
453 University of Central Arkansas Conway, Arkansas $10,523 $25,029 40% 62% 1118 89%
454 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, Missouri $14,984 $29,231 40% 81% 1317 73%
455 Tarleton State University Stephenville, Texas $8,302 $24,100 40% 55% 1075 90%
456 Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, Florida $45,900 $62,440 40% 37% 1225 58%
457 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, Alabama $9,098 $28,145 40% 51% 1258 88%
458 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, South Dakota $10,500 $25,385 40% 79% 1245 80%
459 University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota $9,432 $24,422 40% 69% 1125 99%
460 Minnesota State University, Mankato Mankato, Minnesota $9,572 $23,995 40% 70% 1150 88%
461 Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, New York $66,862 $82,467 40% 83% 1366 62%
462 University of Dayton Dayton, Ohio $49,140 $65,881 40% 84% 1335 65%
463 Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa $19,475 $34,022 40% 50% 1090 96%
464 Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia $8,664 $28,241 40% 44% 1076 55%
465 Montclair State University Montclair, New Jersey $15,912 $28,305 41% 65% 1070 88%
466 Sul Ross State University Alpine, Texas $7,592 $24,529 41% 44% 1024 99%
467 Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia $12,750 $29,446 41% 52% 1197 90%
468 Franklin University Columbus, Ohio $9,577 $30,696 41% 40%
469 Mississippi University for Women Columbus, Mississippi $8,492 $22,225 41% 57% 1090 90%
470 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky $10,320 $23,735 41% 48% 1149 78%
471 Wofford College Spartanburg, South Carolina $56,005 $72,441 41% 79% 1296 52%
472 Athens State University Athens, Alabama 41% 50%
473 Regis University Denver, Colorado $46,340 $54,800 41% 61% 1220 86%
474 University of New England Biddeford, Maine $44,210 $63,245 41% 73% 92%
475 Texas State University San Marcos, Texas $11,450 $28,073 41% 57% 1103 89%
476 University of Montana Missoula, Montana $8,552 $23,570 41% 58% 1190 96%
477 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota $10,951 $25,605 41% 76% 77%
478 Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas $11,852 $27,443 41% 65% 1190 73%
479 High Point University High Point, North Carolina $45,312 $65,548 41% 70% 1288 75%
480 University of Evansville Evansville, Indiana $44,172 $57,451 41% 76% 78%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
Fairmont State University — 39% 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.

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