2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in the United States
With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best United States Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking is part of that endeavor.
After analyzing 1,472 schools, we came up with our list of those that were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in the United States. It's important to note that this isn't just a listing of colleges and universities with the lowest sticker price. Instead, this ranking identifies schools that offer a high quality educational experience at a lower-than-expected price. Because of this, it is possible for one college to rank better than another, even if the latter college has a lower average cost.
Get more details on our ranking methodology.
To calculate the average cost amount, we sum up the total expenses to attend a school - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other living expenses. This estimate is meant to give you a better picture of how much money you'll have to pay each year, either through self-pay, loans, or external scholarships.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location and field of study as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors, such as those of importance to veterans and returning adults or those seeking diversity and overall quality.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Brigham Young University - Provo to be the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in the United States in this year’s ranking. BYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,007 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At BYU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 5.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,236 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from BYU is about $100,797. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. In addition to its great value ranking, BYU is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges list.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in the United States. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,211 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at UW - La Crosse to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,074 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - La Crosse is $107,129. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. UW - La Crosse also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 in the United States on this year’s best value ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, the large public school awarded 8,684 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at USF Tampa to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $31,190 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the USF Tampa is $134,117. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. On top of its placing in our value rankings, USF Tampa also did well on our Best Colleges list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #4 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in the United States list. This medium-sized public school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 1,216 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Truman State is 4.2 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $27,140 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Truman State is $115,074. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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Out of the 1,472 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Martin Luther College landed the #5 spot on the list. MLC is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Ulm, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 190 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at MLC is 4.4 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $27,230 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from MLC is about $120,901. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #6, Florida State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the United States list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, the large public school awarded 9,688 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Florida State is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $34,063 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Florida State is $144,086. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Florida State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges list.
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With a ranking of #7, University of Minnesota - Rochester did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the United States list. Located in Rochester, Minnesota, the small public school awarded 84 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UMN Rochester about 4.1 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,504 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UMN Rochester be around $109,462. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #8 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the United States ranking. UMN Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 385 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at UMN Morris graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $26,200. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UMN Morris is about $111,088. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, the fairly large public school handed out 2,588 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At North Dakota State University, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $26,551 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University is about $120,276. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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University of North Carolina School of the Arts came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the small public school handed out 196 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At UNCSA, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.0 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $36,228 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UNCSA is about $146,723. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. In addition to its great value ranking, UNCSA is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges list.
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SUNY Geneseo came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. SUNY Geneseo is a public institution located in Geneseo, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,408 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at SUNY Geneseo is 4.1 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $33,121. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the SUNY Geneseo is $136,459. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. SUNY Geneseo excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges list.
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With a ranking of #12, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the United States list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the fairly large public school awarded 2,500 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at UNI to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $29,789 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UNI is $132,263. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. UNI also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #13. Appalachian State University is a fairly large public school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 4,172 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Appalachian State is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $30,039 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State is about $129,468. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #14, University of Florida did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the United States list. University of Florida is a large public school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 9,663 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at U of F is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $37,399 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from U of F is $159,694. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great value ranking, U of F is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges list.
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Grand Valley State University landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the United States ranking. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,421 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at GVSU graduates in less than 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $29,175 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from GVSU is $132,163. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 235 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Baptist College of Health Sciences graduates in less than 4.4 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $22,346 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Baptist College of Health Sciences is $99,216. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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University of Wyoming came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. Located in Laramie, Wyoming, the fairly large public school handed out 2,387 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at U of Wyoming graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $27,881. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from U of Wyoming is about $129,368. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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South Dakota State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,026 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at South Dakota State graduates in less than 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $25,217 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State be around $110,955. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,807 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at SRU is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,866 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from SRU is about $119,545. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 4.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Iowa State University landed the #20 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the United States ranking. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 7,380 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Iowa State to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $34,287 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State is $151,549. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 3.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa State also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges ranking.
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Winona State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 1,822 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at Winona State to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $27,071 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $121,278 to get a bachelor’s degree from Winona State. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Thomas Aquinas College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #22. TAC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Paula, California. It awarded 83 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at TAC about 4.2 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $38,164. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from TAC is $159,144. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. In addition to its great value ranking, TAC is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges list.
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Harding University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #23. Harding is a private not-for-profit institution located in Searcy, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 888 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Harding to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $31,706 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Harding is $137,921. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,568 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Purdue about 4.4 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $38,339 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Purdue is $167,158. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in our value rankings, Purdue also did well on our Best Colleges list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the United States ranking. SUNY - ESF is a small public school situated in Syracuse, New York. It awarded 459 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at SUNY - ESF to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $36,992 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY - ESF is $154,257. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. SUNY - ESF also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in the United States
Not only did these schools make the top-ranked list, but they also landed in the upper 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Rest of the Top 15% Colleges for the Money in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Birmingham Southern College | Birmingham, AL |
| 52 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 53 | Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health | Omaha, NE |
| 53 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI |
| 55 | Maine Maritime Academy | Castine, ME |
| 56 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
| 57 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
| 57 | Hillsdale College | Hillsdale, MI |
| 59 | University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Wilmington, NC |
| 60 | California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 61 | University of Illinois at Springfield | Springfield, IL |
| 62 | Salish Kootenai College | Pablo, MT |
| 62 | University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh | Oshkosh, WI |
| 64 | Brigham Young University - Hawaii | Laie, HI |
| 65 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 216 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
| 217 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | New York, NY |
| 218 | Pennsylvania State University - Erie - Behrend College | Erie, PA |
| 218 | Canisius College | Buffalo, NY |
| 220 | Wayne State College | Wayne, NE |
| 221 | Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg, KS |
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 222 | Neumont College of Computer Science | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 223 | California State University - Chico | Chico, CA |
| 223 | Taylor University | Upland, IN |
| 225 | Framingham State University | Framingham, MA |
| 225 | Longwood University | Farmville, VA |
| 225 | University of Memphis | Memphis, TN |
| 228 | Southwest Minnesota State University | Marshall, MN |
| 229 | The University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL |
| 230 | Keene State College | Keene, NH |
| 230 | University of New Hampshire - Main Campus | Durham, NH |
| 232 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI |
| 233 | West Texas A&M University | Canyon, TX |
| 234 | Wheaton College Illinois | Wheaton, IL |
| 235 | Elon University | Elon, NC |
| 235 | Edinboro University of Pennsylvania | Edinboro, PA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 277 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 277 | Oregon State University | Corvallis, OR |
| 279 | Messiah University | Mechanicsburg, PA |
| 280 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV |
| 280 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX |
| 280 | Huntington University | Huntington, IN |
| 283 | California State University - Fullerton | Fullerton, CA |
| 283 | Bethany Lutheran College | Mankato, MN |
| 285 | Samford University | Birmingham, AL |
| 286 | Rowan University | Glassboro, NJ |
| 287 | Lindenwood University | Saint Charles, MO |
| 287 | University of New Hampshire at Manchester | Manchester, NH |
| 289 | Lee University | Cleveland, TN |
| 289 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
| 291 | Lock Haven University | Lock Haven, PA |
| 292 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 292 | California State University - Monterey Bay | Seaside, CA |
| 294 | Ave Maria University | Ave Maria, FL |
| 294 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg, PA |
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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