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
521 Ferris State University Big Rapids, Michigan $14,778 $27,048 43% 59% 1012 91%
522 Texas Tech University-Health Sciences Center Lubbock, Texas 43% 78%
523 Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota $68,892 $84,893 43% 92% 1517 20%
524 University of South Carolina - Aiken Aiken, South Carolina $10,760 $21,540 43% 52% 1120 79%
525 University of Wisconsin - Superior Superior, Wisconsin $8,812 $19,860 43% 58% 1090 93%
526 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, Massachusetts $67,018 $84,926 44% 80% 1463 36%
527 Biola University La Mirada, California $48,984 $62,757 44% 74% 1261 74%
528 Trinity University San Antonio, Texas $53,676 $68,224 44% 86% 1416 26%
529 University of the Ozarks Clarksville, Arkansas $25,950 $38,666 44% 59% 1105 60%
530 University of Dallas Irving, Texas $53,930 $68,583 44% 75% 1227 53%
531 Harding University Searcy, Arkansas $26,262 $39,534 44% 73% 1182 71%
532 Spring Hill College Mobile, Alabama $24,054 $39,936 44% 61% 1120 77%
533 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, Minnesota $14,610 $27,680 44% 75% 1251 89%
534 Valdosta State University Valdosta, Georgia $6,124 $20,801 44% 41% 1013 72%
535 Union College Schenectady, New York $69,039 $84,561 44% 86% 1395 44%
536 Bowie State University Bowie, Maryland $9,218 $25,220 44% 31% 72%
537 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico $10,140 $21,259 44% 48% 1038 95%
538 Hope College Holland, Michigan $41,970 $55,646 44% 81% 1249 79%
539 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, Washington $52,254 $62,459 44% 75% 1168 78%
540 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, North Carolina $4,630 $19,992 44% 59% 1157 82%
541 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, Alabama $12,894 $24,257 44% 42% 1059 78%
542 Hofstra University Hempstead, New York $57,660 $70,624 44% 71% 1319 68%
543 Delta State University Cleveland, Mississippi $8,605 $22,445 44% 52% 1050 100%
544 Barry University Miami, Florida $34,350 $50,778 44% 40% 77%
545 Peru State College Peru, Nebraska $8,640 $22,240 44% 55%
546 Drake University Des Moines, Iowa $52,130 $64,835 44% 84% 1292 64%
547 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, Pennsylvania $70,794 $85,776 44% 85% 1392 28%
548 Drew University Madison, New Jersey $47,100 $65,301 45% 70% 1227 68%
549 New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, New York $46,560 $56,976 45% 58% 1311 81%
550 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, Illinois $13,334 $28,329 45% 51% 1055 87%
551 The College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio $61,640 $75,656 45% 74% 1353 60%
552 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia $10,104 $26,415 45% 58% 1122 89%
553 Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, New York $43,450 $55,014 45% 67% 1150 89%
554 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, Illinois $53,710 $67,408 45% 75% 1297 82%
555 Carroll College Helena, Montana $41,484 $55,626 45% 79% 1200 71%
556 Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma $35,648 $47,247 45% 72% 1177 77%
557 Pace University New York, New York $53,290 $69,550 45% 64% 1266 76%
558 Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, Oklahoma $27,180 $39,106 45% 74% 1122 97%
559 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, Michigan $61,050 $74,208 45% 83% 1280 75%
560 Jacksonville University Jacksonville, Florida $47,830 $63,969 45% 54% 1205 57%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
Ferris State University — 43% 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.