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
681 College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, Maine $47,997 $58,266 53% 77% 1370 70%
682 Concordia College - Moorhead Moorhead, Minnesota $31,170 $45,942 53% 85% 1190 63%
683 The Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, New York $39,850 $58,790 53% 75% 1060 91%
684 Canisius University Buffalo, New York $34,500 $44,322 53% 71% 72%
685 Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania $23,011 $40,903 53% 68% 80%
686 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, Iowa $40,878 $55,054 53% 73% 83%
687 Wagner College Staten Island, New York $53,200 $65,574 53% 76% 1243 88%
688 Whitman College Walla Walla, Washington $64,050 $78,092 54% 93% 1410 38%
689 National American University-Rapid City Rapid City, South Dakota $16,065 $34,452 54% 24%
690 Crestpoint University Phoenix, Arizona $7,995 $19,927 54% 29%
691 Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin $60,886 $71,365 54% 78% 1287 63%
692 Antioch University Yellow Springs, Ohio 54% 46%
693 Roosevelt University Chicago, Illinois $21,315 $35,332 54% 46% 1011 97%
694 Lesley University Cambridge, Massachusetts $34,256 $51,538 54% 63% 97%
695 Whittier College Whittier, California $51,350 $63,664 54% 67% 81%
696 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, North Carolina $6,536 $17,701 54% 26% 1019 64%
697 St. Lawrence University Canton, New York $65,900 $82,000 54% 85% 1371 54%
698 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, Minnesota $56,076 $67,613 54% 83% 1290 61%
699 Winthrop University Rock Hill, South Carolina $14,678 $30,710 54% 49% 1139 79%
700 Quincy University Quincy, Illinois $37,140 $50,091 54% 60% 1098 51%
701 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, Pennsylvania $10,775 $28,394 54% 75% 1187 78%
702 Niagara University Niagara University, New York $39,345 $51,632 55% 72% 1168 87%
703 Ohio Northern University Ada, Ohio $39,800 $53,580 55% 85% 1252 74%
704 Rocky Mountain College Billings, Montana $35,582 $46,093 55% 65% 1083 70%
705 Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts $42,884 $61,096 55% 83% 1229 91%
706 Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts $47,550 $65,281 55% 70% 1216 82%
707 Meredith College Raleigh, North Carolina $45,630 $57,313 55% 66% 1204 74%
708 Felician University Lodi, New Jersey $39,300 $50,316 55% 53%
709 King University Bristol, Tennessee $36,194 $49,004 55% 60% 100%
710 University of Redlands Redlands, California $60,878 $76,630 55% 68% 1241 83%
711 Columbia College Chicago Chicago, Illinois $34,088 $51,889 56% 46% 89%
712 Roger Williams University Bristol, Rhode Island $44,418 $61,950 56% 79% 1223 88%
713 Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, Virginia $43,920 $56,756 56% 78% 100%
714 Millikin University Decatur, Illinois $26,892 $57,475 56% 64% 1034 67%
715 Hiram College Hiram, Ohio $27,600 $40,572 56% 57% 94%
716 Hampton University Hampton, Virginia $30,592 $46,027 56% 43% 969 62%
717 Xavier University of Louisiana New Orleans, Louisiana $28,733 $40,434 56% 53% 1080 69%
718 Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin $50,480 $62,648 56% 83% 59%
719 Allegheny College Meadville, Pennsylvania $56,550 $71,348 56% 79% 1275 55%
720 ECPI University Virginia Beach, Virginia $18,484 $30,055 57% 33% 75%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
College of the Atlantic — 53% 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.