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
801 Gannon University Erie, Pennsylvania $40,656 $52,869 64% 67% 74%
802 Ithaca College Ithaca, New York $53,540 $68,699 65% 82% 1312 69%
803 Mercyhurst University Erie, Pennsylvania $45,770 $59,557 65% 54% 81%
804 Laurus College San Luis Obispo, California 65% 29%
805 Luther College Decorah, Iowa $52,120 $65,461 65% 83% 1218 72%
806 Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania $37,950 $50,865 65% 79% 1204 78%
807 Columbia College Columbia, South Carolina $22,214 $35,258 65% 44% 94%
808 West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West Virginia $34,090 $48,190 65% 64% 1052 93%
809 Morgan State University Baltimore, Maryland $8,229 $25,413 65% 24% 971 82%
810 Ursinus College Collegeville, Pennsylvania $61,210 $76,815 65% 83% 1310 92%
811 University of West Alabama Livingston, Alabama $10,990 $22,758 66% 37% 1015 43%
812 Lewis & Clark College Portland, Oregon $64,828 $79,987 66% 82% 78%
813 University of Hartford West Hartford, Connecticut $49,075 $64,729 66% 66% 1219 96%
814 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania $59,850 $75,410 66% 82% 1232 81%
815 Hesston College Hesston, Kansas $32,936 $47,450 66% 69%
816 Doane University Crete, Nebraska $43,985 $57,836 66% 65% 98%
817 Fresno Pacific University Fresno, California $36,660 $44,249 66% 53% 64%
818 Lionel University Carpinteria, California $15,265 $31,812 66%
819 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, Illinois $56,402 $70,655 67% 77% 1343 57%
820 Keene State College Keene, New Hampshire $14,784 $29,993 67% 74% 90%
821 Troy University Troy, Alabama $10,176 $23,165 67% 35% 1088 96%
822 Juniata College Huntingdon, Pennsylvania $58,580 $71,850 67% 81% 1227 79%
823 University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, South Dakota $21,750 $34,274 67% 74% 83%
824 Buena Vista University Storm Lake, Iowa $41,798 $54,222 67% 58% 1120 78%
825 University of Tampa Tampa, Florida $34,408 $51,614 67% 65% 40%
826 Wartburg College Waverly, Iowa $26,250 $64,359 67% 79% 1136 76%
827 American International College Springfield, Massachusetts $44,230 $59,270 67% 48% 100%
828 Knox College Galesburg, Illinois $57,903 $68,134 67% 76% 1326 71%
829 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania $48,986 $67,776 67% 82% 1276 84%
830 Texas Southern University Houston, Texas $9,173 $27,052 67% 27% 914 97%
831 Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, Wisconsin $36,110 $48,785 68% 73% 1239 78%
832 Montreat College Montreat, North Carolina $36,450 $47,133 68% 52% 69%
833 Hood College Frederick, Maryland $47,700 $61,219 68% 70% 78%
834 Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa $54,666 $67,372 68% 81% 1223 64%
835 LaGrange College Lagrange, Georgia $35,400 $49,681 68% 58% 62%
836 Belhaven University Jackson, Mississippi $30,250 $39,793 68% 46% 1124 50%
837 University of Advancing Technology Tempe, Arizona $19,365 $32,794 68% 50% 98%
838 Allen College Waterloo, Iowa 68% 84%
839 Saint Anselm College Manchester, New Hampshire $48,920 $67,213 69% 84% 1201 78%
840 Marietta College Marietta, Ohio $39,652 $53,709 69% 71% 1088 79%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
Gannon University — 64% 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.