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
721 Alma College Alma, Michigan $49,552 $63,650 57% 74% 57%
722 Regent University Virginia Beach, Virginia $21,650 $32,838 57% 43% 1153 38%
723 Coastal Carolina University Conway, South Carolina $11,640 $26,692 57% 52% 1143 75%
724 Oakwood University Huntsville, Alabama $22,512 $40,176 57% 28% 45%
725 State University of New York at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, New York $9,035 $28,244 57% 63% 1165 78%
726 Providence College Providence, Rhode Island $63,550 $80,466 57% 79% 1346 51%
727 Rockford University Rockford, Illinois $37,780 $49,169 57% 58% 956 93%
728 Sacred Heart University Fairfield, Connecticut $50,404 $69,289 57% 74% 65%
729 Randolph-Macon College Ashland, Virginia $49,466 $63,985 57% 73% 1095 87%
730 University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Johnstown, Pennsylvania $14,906 $30,349 58% 75% 1105 95%
731 Dominican University of California San Rafael, California $52,161 $71,751 58% 72% 1290 84%
732 Saint Michael's College Colchester, Vermont $51,450 $69,079 58% 84% 1245 85%
733 Clark University Worcester, Massachusetts $58,867 $68,432 58% 80% 1370 40%
734 Friends University Wichita, Kansas $34,192 $50,482 58% 52% 1080 55%
735 Hamline University Saint Paul, Minnesota $50,004 $58,110 58% 71% 1160 88%
736 Loras College Dubuque, Iowa $39,824 $50,537 58% 83% 100%
737 York College of Pennsylvania York, Pennsylvania $25,588 $37,319 58% 73% 1162 74%
738 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, Pennsylvania $13,720 $30,785 58% 72% 1120 87%
739 Pacific Union College Angwin, California $37,173 $49,404 58% 60% 47%
740 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, New Hampshire $17,200 $40,918 58% 47% 100%
741 Rider University Lawrenceville, New Jersey $41,120 $55,967 58% 71% 1227 79%
742 Woodbury University Burbank, California $47,056 $58,010 58% 58% 82%
743 Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Monterey, California 58% 88%
744 McDaniel College Westminster, Maryland $52,081 $65,294 58% 79% 78%
745 La Sierra University Riverside, California $37,710 $51,459 59% 52% 92%
746 Adelphi University Garden City, New York $49,110 $63,189 59% 69% 1219 66%
747 Howard University Washington, District of Columbia $35,810 $54,630 59% 35% 1213 41%
748 Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, Pennsylvania $11,380 $26,898 59% 65% 1082 91%
749 Emporia State University Emporia, Kansas $7,106 $21,967 59% 59% 1120 98%
750 Millsaps College Jackson, Mississippi $44,680 $60,061 59% 75% 1181 43%
751 Tuskegee University Tuskegee, Alabama $25,386 $43,454 59% 50% 1120 49%
752 Our Lady of the Lake University San Antonio, Texas $32,106 $42,865 59% 48%
753 Tabor College Hillsboro, Kansas $36,200 $50,350 59% 60% 65%
754 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, Virginia $21,046 $34,824 59% 84% 1244 71%
755 Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, Pennsylvania $18,240 $33,192 60% 65%
756 Shorter College N Little Rock, Arkansas $6,246 $21,735 60% 25%
757 Hallmark University San Antonio, Texas 60% 34% 51%
758 Langston University Langston, Oklahoma $6,863 $21,394 60% 27%
759 Bridgewater College Bridgewater, Virginia $16,090 $58,702 60% 75% 1180 92%
760 Chapman University Orange, California $64,984 $83,146 60% 68% 1357 65%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
Alma College — 57% 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.