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
161 Oregon Institute of Technology Klamath Falls, Oregon $13,260 $27,524 22% 69% 1150 95%
162 Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana $9,992 $24,591 22% 78% 1364 50%
163 Southern Union State Community College Wadley, Alabama $5,040 $13,637 22% 37% — —
164 Hawaii Pacific University Honolulu, Hawaii $34,392 $50,674 23% 63% 1111 86%
165 University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida $6,368 $23,133 23% 59% 1269 40%
166 University of North Florida Jacksonville, Florida $6,389 $20,983 23% 59% 1153 53%
167 Middlebury College Middlebury, Vermont $67,600 $85,880 23% 88% 1508 11%
168 Generations College Chicago, Illinois $12,700 $25,660 23% 24% — —
169 California State University, Sacramento Sacramento, California $8,018 $22,945 23% 66% — 94%
170 Boston University Boston, Massachusetts $68,102 $86,285 23% 82% 1480 11%
171 Idaho State University Pocatello, Idaho $8,610 $21,527 23% 48% — —
172 Bellevue University Bellevue, Nebraska $9,903 $23,531 23% 53% — —
173 Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee, Oklahoma $35,570 $48,695 23% 70% 1024 49%
174 San Francisco State University San Francisco, California $7,950 $26,488 23% 64% — 96%
175 Erie Community College Buffalo, New York $6,100 $14,348 23% 46% — —
176 San Diego State University San Diego, California $8,728 $27,780 23% 66% — 36%
177 California State University, Bakersfield Bakersfield, California $8,090 $19,522 23% 55% — 94%
178 Angelo State University San Angelo, Texas $8,460 $23,441 23% 55% 1054 83%
179 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, Minnesota $10,245 $21,116 24% 66% 1092 95%
180 University of Southern California Los Angeles, California $72,097 $90,300 24% 80% 1495 10%
181 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, Michigan $17,736 $34,654 24% 79% 1465 16%
182 Bob Jones University Greenville, South Carolina $24,470 $36,580 24% 83% — —
183 California State University, Long Beach Long Beach, California $7,350 $22,679 24% 71% — 46%
184 University of South Florida Tampa, Florida $6,410 $22,859 24% 57% 1227 43%
185 Boise State University Boise, Idaho $9,048 $28,224 24% 54% — 87%
186 University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri $12,587 $25,320 24% 56% 1204 72%
187 University of Nevada, Reno Reno, Nevada $9,578 $25,786 24% 66% 1132 74%
188 LeTourneau University Longview, Texas $37,160 $51,124 24% 57% 1208 38%
189 California State University Channel Islands Camarillo, California $7,159 $23,561 24% 66% — 95%
190 Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana $9,532 $22,183 24% 53% 1100 84%
191 Thomas Edison State University Trenton, New Jersey $6,838 — 24% 53% — —
192 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, Wisconsin $8,532 $19,652 24% 71% 1090 87%
193 Fort Hays State University Hays, Kansas $5,923 $19,909 24% 59% 1089 90%
194 California State University, San Bernardino San Bernardino, California $8,093 $17,427 24% 52% — 94%
195 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, Florida $6,118 $20,807 25% 59% 1114 63%
196 National University San Diego, California $13,284 $33,978 25% 50% — —
197 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Indiana $65,025 $83,271 25% 93% 1520 11%
198 Georgia Gwinnett College Lawrenceville, Georgia $4,532 $22,547 25% 32% — 96%
199 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado $15,666 $37,684 25% 74% 1357 78%
200 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, California $13,596 $32,265 25% 87% — 31%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
Oregon Institute of Technology — 22% 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.
All university data Cheapest tuition Most expensive Best loan repayment Highest SAT Highest acceptance

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Universities without a published figure for the ranked measure are not listed.