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
841 Saint Martin's University Lacey, Washington $45,510 $62,449 69% 66% 1093 90%
842 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, Michigan $14,760 $30,681 69% 56% 1091 90%
843 Walden University Minneapolis, Minnesota $12,762 $35,358 69% 30%
844 Aquinas College Grand Rapids, Michigan $40,218 $51,652 69% 62% 1025 90%
845 Evangel University-College of Online Learning Springfield, Missouri $8,175 $26,454 69% 65% 49%
846 Indiana Institute of Technology Fort Wayne, Indiana $31,361 $45,879 69% 32% 70%
847 Lebanon Valley College Annville, Pennsylvania $52,080 $66,497 69% 80% 1240 84%
848 Plymouth State University Plymouth, New Hampshire $14,626 $29,644 69% 68% 88%
849 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, Pennsylvania $29,392 $42,972 69% 78% 81%
850 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana $41,200 $60,620 69% 72% 1144 56%
851 Stevenson University Owings Mills, Maryland $40,560 $58,394 70% 58% 79%
852 Brenau University Gainesville, Georgia $34,027 $46,010 70% 45% 1079 88%
853 Pfeiffer University Misenheimer, North Carolina $35,070 $45,542 70% 55% 96%
854 University of Dubuque Dubuque, Iowa $42,095 $53,806 70% 60% 1110 89%
855 Central College Pella, Iowa $20,988 $37,773 70% 77% 1147 86%
856 Ripon College Ripon, Wisconsin $51,900 $63,540 70% 75% 1176 80%
857 American InterContinental University System Chandler, Arizona $12,397 $22,256 70% 25%
858 Simpson College Indianola, Iowa $47,656 $61,227 71% 76% 1440 86%
859 Huntingdon College Montgomery, Alabama $29,070 $40,908 71% 51% 1142 69%
860 Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, Kansas $34,630 $47,437 71% 58% 72%
861 Curry College Milton, Massachusetts $47,970 $64,020 71% 67% 1125 88%
862 Lycoming College Williamsport, Pennsylvania $50,029 $64,105 71% 74% 1160 74%
863 Marymount Manhattan College New York, New York $41,870 $65,767 71% 58% 1214 83%
864 New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, Rhode Island $37,275 $48,543 71% 52% 67%
865 Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion Marion, Indiana $32,352 $44,776 71% 54% 1082 89%
866 Widener University Chester, Pennsylvania $55,730 $70,621 72% 66% 1180 71%
867 University of New Haven West Haven, Connecticut $47,332 $66,962 72% 70% 1160 60%
868 Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania $43,496 $56,765 72% 72% 1136 91%
869 Dakota Wesleyan University Mitchell, South Dakota $33,790 $43,864 73% 70% 73%
870 University of Arkansas Grantham LIttle Rock, Arkansas $8,520 $15,318 73% 21%
871 Pinnacle Career Institute Kansas City, Missouri 73% 24%
872 Newberry College Newberry, South Carolina $31,100 $46,442 73% 56% 90%
873 South University-Savannah Online Savannah, Georgia $18,145 $34,298 73% 25%
874 Albright College Reading, Pennsylvania $29,082 $43,711 74% 71% 76%
875 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, New York $65,117 $82,602 74% 80% 1319 64%
876 Cleveland State University Cleveland, Ohio $12,988 $27,159 74% 47% 91%
877 Point Park University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania $39,570 $52,643 74% 53% 97%
878 Alabama State University Montgomery, Alabama $11,248 $23,586 74% 22% 976 98%
879 Los Angeles Pacific University Glendora, California $12,360 $29,884 74%
880 King's College Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania $44,100 $57,973 74% 71% 1170 93%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
Saint Martin's University — 69% 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.