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
241 University of Denver Denver, Colorado $61,398 $78,476 28% 73% 1355 78%
242 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, Tennessee $10,266 $24,289 28% 50% 1121 69%
243 University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming $7,768 $24,818 28% 75% — 97%
244 University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky $13,136 $32,941 28% 59% 1150 79%
245 Golden Gate University San Francisco, California — — 28% 56% — —
246 Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts $68,080 $86,448 28% 83% 1462 41%
247 University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland $13,256 $28,576 28% 67% 1323 72%
248 Montana State University - Billings Billings, Montana $7,280 $20,054 28% 59% — —
249 California State University, San Marcos San Marcos, California $8,082 $21,649 28% 67% — 95%
250 New Jersey City University Jersey City, New Jersey $14,460 $28,255 28% 50% — 98%
251 University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, California $16,005 $41,179 28% 75% — 66%
252 California State University, Monterey Bay Seaside, California $7,779 $26,987 28% 66% — 97%
253 University of California, Merced Merced, California $15,623 $39,665 29% 65% — 91%
254 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, Illinois $52,386 $68,164 29% 80% 1311 55%
255 Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio $13,244 $30,305 29% 63% 1387 61%
256 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Flex Milwaukee, Wisconsin — — 29% 62% — 100%
257 Long Island University Brookville, New York $42,432 $55,424 29% 53% 1224 86%
258 University of Tennessee, Knoxville Knoxville, Tennessee $13,812 $33,678 29% 68% 1311 42%
259 University of Texas Permian Basin Odessa, Texas $9,236 $23,886 29% 60% 1033 95%
260 James Madison University Harrisonburg, Virginia $14,250 $31,735 29% 82% 1256 72%
261 Christian Brothers University Memphis, Tennessee $38,420 $48,038 29% 54% 1098 87%
262 Taylor University Upland, Indiana $40,490 $53,405 29% 81% 1220 74%
263 Western Washington University Bellingham, Washington $9,582 $30,359 29% 74% 1289 93%
264 Hamilton College Clinton, New York $68,960 $84,230 29% 90% 1506 14%
265 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, Virginia $14,640 $31,137 29% 74% 1272 80%
266 Montana State University - Northern Havre, Montana $6,982 $16,578 29% 64% — —
267 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon $16,137 $34,793 29% 62% 1272 88%
268 Indiana University Southeast New Albany, Indiana $8,424 $16,411 29% 49% 1072 84%
269 Lipscomb University Nashville, Tennessee $40,572 $55,117 29% 69% 1256 68%
270 McMurry University Abilene, Texas $32,340 $43,778 29% 53% 1043 57%
271 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, California $62,357 $83,943 29% 78% 1359 45%
272 Valley City State University Valley City, North Dakota $8,514 $20,468 30% 70% 1041 99%
273 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, Missouri $55,760 $71,932 30% 73% 1317 75%
274 University of Houston-Downtown Houston, Texas $7,708 $20,749 30% 43% 1029 90%
275 Fort Lewis College Durango, Colorado $9,958 $27,030 30% 58% 1111 77%
276 University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo, Hawaii $7,838 $21,173 30% 63% 1028 61%
277 Washington State University Pullman, Washington $13,391 $27,648 30% 72% — 87%
278 Andrews University Berrien Springs, Michigan $35,056 $45,218 31% 50% 1150 82%
279 George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia $14,220 $28,604 31% 73% 1274 87%
280 University of Tennessee, Martin Martin, Tennessee $10,560 $23,079 31% 55% 1120 88%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
University of Denver — 28% 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.