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
321 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, Georgia $5,808 $24,008 33% 53% 1113 69%
322 Thomas College Waterville, Maine $31,824 $47,198 33% 65% — 96%
323 University of Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma $50,061 $64,459 33% 79% 1389 62%
324 Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, Missouri $9,903 $25,177 33% 57% 950 74%
325 North American University Stafford, Texas $15,436 $27,981 33% 16% — —
326 Harvey Mudd College Claremont, California $68,613 $90,165 33% — 1545 13%
327 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York $67,290 $85,270 33% 86% 1405 21%
328 University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, Texas $14,644 $29,807 33% 65% 1286 65%
329 University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online Manchester, New Hampshire $7,724 $15,451 33% 81% — —
330 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Oklahoma $8,818 $26,392 33% 55% 1090 78%
331 John Brown University Siloam Springs, Arkansas $31,756 $44,710 33% 75% 1195 76%
332 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, Tennessee $11,376 $25,663 33% 64% 1151 76%
333 Morehead State University Morehead, Kentucky $10,024 $21,961 34% 47% — 77%
334 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania $66,246 $83,654 34% 91% 1546 12%
335 Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan $16,458 $32,198 34% 67% 1269 85%
336 University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky $13,502 $34,391 34% 63% 1215 93%
337 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, Tennessee $10,472 $27,042 34% 51% 1144 86%
338 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado $10,149 $24,595 34% 63% 1133 97%
339 Berklee College of Music Boston, Massachusetts $52,040 $72,700 34% 65% — 44%
340 Excelsior University Albany, New York — — 34% 56% — —
341 Dakota State University Madison, South Dakota $9,654 $25,753 34% 67% 1215 88%
342 Austin Peay State University Clarksville, Tennessee $9,006 $22,233 34% 45% 1088 96%
343 Dickinson State University Dickinson, North Dakota $9,118 $20,567 34% 76% — 37%
344 Belmont University Nashville, Tennessee $42,540 $62,570 34% 76% 1280 95%
345 Marymount University Arlington, Virginia $40,920 $57,184 34% 66% — 93%
346 Colorado State University - Global Campus Denver, Colorado $9,000 $21,201 34% 54% — 98%
347 Goldey-Beacom College Wilmington, Delaware $14,940 $26,502 34% 52% — 85%
348 Augusta University Augusta, Georgia $8,414 $23,524 35% 56% 1070 86%
349 Pratt Institute Brooklyn, New York $61,845 $80,049 35% 75% 1290 73%
350 University of West Georgia Carrollton, Georgia $6,088 $21,981 35% 43% 1032 52%
351 Lawrence Technological University Southfield, Michigan $44,760 $58,166 35% 64% — 56%
352 Bucknell University Lewisburg, Pennsylvania $67,812 $83,756 35% 90% 1410 29%
353 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, Kentucky $11,652 $24,188 35% 47% 971 94%
354 University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, Louisiana $9,190 $24,932 35% 63% 1116 85%
355 University of Southern Maine Portland, Maine $11,284 $23,717 35% 65% 1116 79%
356 Indiana University at South Bend South Bend, Indiana $8,424 $17,364 35% 49% 1081 84%
357 Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania $67,776 $84,793 35% 90% 1460 27%
358 San Diego Christian College Santee, California $28,012 $31,745 35% 45% — 31%
359 Eastern Washington University Cheney, Washington $8,586 $24,478 35% 63% — 91%
360 University of Findlay Findlay, Ohio $41,164 $54,580 35% 71% — 83%

Questions

Least debt burden in the US: which university leads?
Kennesaw State University — 33% 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.