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
41 Brigham Young University Hawaii Laie, Hawaii $6,630 $25,098 7% 71% 1130 47%
42 Howard Community College Columbia, Maryland $4,080 $16,774 7% 36%
43 Pasco-Hernando State College New Port Richey, Florida $3,155 $11,730 7% 34%
44 Berea College Berea, Kentucky $51,658 $60,718 8% 68% 1249 19%
45 Frederick Community College Frederick, Maryland $3,849 $14,798 8% 48%
46 Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, Maryland $4,322 $19,841 8% 40%
47 Pensacola State College Pensacola, Florida $2,361 $11,894 8% 50%
48 Amherst College Amherst, Massachusetts $70,480 $87,640 8% 80% 1533 9%
49 Bowdoin College Brunswick, Maine $67,832 $85,100 8% 90% 1520 7%
50 Hult International Business School Cambridge, Massachusetts $57,160 $79,075 9% 60%
51 Colby College Waterville, Maine $69,600 $85,420 9% 87% 1501 7%
52 Davidson College Davidson, North Carolina $64,410 $79,475 9% 84% 1469 13%
53 Utah Valley University Orem, Utah $6,507 $14,765 9% 59%
54 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland $65,230 $85,947 9% 82% 1553 6%
55 Pomona College Claremont, California $65,420 $85,300 9% 85% 1534 7%
56 Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland $4,432 $15,781 9% 32%
57 Glen Oaks Community College Centreville, Michigan $4,176 $17,124 10% 39%
58 Broward College Fort Lauderdale, Florida $2,830 $21,947 10% 38%
59 Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee $67,498 $89,590 10% 84% 1549 6%
60 Brown University Providence, Rhode Island $71,412 $87,648 10% 87% 1546 5%
61 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania $68,686 $89,028 10% 84% 1553 5%
62 Harford Community College Bel Air, Maryland $4,032 $13,821 10% 46%
63 College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada $4,358 $13,665 10% 31%
64 Aspen University Phoenix, Arizona $6,870 10% 42%
65 Weber State University Ogden, Utah $6,557 $16,035 10% 63%
66 Emory University Atlanta, Georgia $64,280 $83,622 11% 80% 1520 11%
67 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, Pennsylvania $65,494 $84,103 11% 86% 1534 7%
68 Florida Southwestern State College Fort Myers, Florida $3,401 $14,254 11% 45%
69 University of Florida Gainesville, Florida $6,381 $22,523 11% 69% 1403 24%
70 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, Idaho $4,800 $15,246 11% 70% 1118 96%
71 Brigham Young University Provo, Utah $6,688 $22,690 11% 80% 1376 68%
72 Southern California University of Health Sciences Whittier, California $10,476 $57,740 11% 45%
73 Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, Florida $3,050 $16,830 11% 39%
74 University of Alaska - Southeast Juneau, Alaska $7,056 $21,043 11% 58% 63%
75 Nazarene Bible College Colorado Springs, Colorado $10,482 11% 40%
76 City University of Seattle Seattle, Washington 12% 53%
77 Dartmouth College Hanover, New Hampshire $68,268 $87,793 12% 87% 1534 5%
78 Valencia College Orlando, Florida $2,664 $18,529 12% 32%
79 American Public University System Charles Town, West Virginia $8,400 $18,768 12% 23%
80 Colgate University Hamilton, New York $70,306 $87,070 12% 86% 1508 14%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
Brigham Young University Hawaii — 7% 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.