by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard. This list is proof that you shouldn't avoid normally high-priced schools, since the actual price may be very affordable if you qualify for financial aid.
In This Year's Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 702 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones have the best value programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, we first consider its average net price of students from families making $0-$30k a year. The net price is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that that the student receives. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2024 rankings named Duke University the best value (income $0-$30k) school in the Southeast Region . Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and has a fairly large student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Duke University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of North Carolina. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $2,945.
Out of the 702 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Florida is a large public school located in Gainesville, Florida.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Florida is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Florida.
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list means Vanderbilt University is a great place for students working on their degree. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Nashville, Tennessee.
Vanderbilt University has the honor of being ranked #1 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,752.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Washington and Lee University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Virginia for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $769.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and has a large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is ranked #2 for quality in the state of North Carolina. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $4,908.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Value Report
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. This large public school is located in Atlanta, Georgia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Georgia. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,447.
Read full value report on Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Florida International University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida.
Not only is Florida International University a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Florida for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $2,688.
William & Mary landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
William & Mary has the honor of being ranked #5 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,579.
Southern Regional Technical College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Located in Thomasville, Georgia, the school is a small public institution.
Southern Regional Technical College has the honor of being ranked #16 in Georgia for overall quality on top of being a good value.
North Carolina State University landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is North Carolina State University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in North Carolina for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,784.
With a ranking of #11, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. This large public school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Virginia - Main Campus is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Virginia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $8,987.
Read full value report on University of Virginia - Main Campus
University of North Carolina School of the Arts came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. UNCSA is a small public school situated in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,868.
Read full value report on University of North Carolina School of the Arts
With a ranking of #13, Florida State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is Florida State University a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Florida for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,438.
With a ranking of #14, Emory University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Emory University is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Georgia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $9,311.
Cleveland Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #15. Shelby, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Cleveland Community College is ranked #17 for quality in the state of North Carolina.
Central Georgia Technical College landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. CGTC is located in Warner Robins, Georgia and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Central Georgia Technical College is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Georgia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $2,291.
With a ranking of #17, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Florida State College at Jacksonville is a large public school located in Jacksonville, Florida.
Florida State College at Jacksonville has the honor of being ranked #17 in Florida for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $875.
Learn More About Value at Florida State College at Jacksonville
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida.
Not only is University of South Florida - Main Campus a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in Florida for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $4,454.
Learn More About Value at University of South Florida - Main Campus
Coastal Pines Technical College landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Waycross, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $681.
With a ranking of #20, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Located in Orlando, Florida, the school is a large public institution.
University of Central Florida has the honor of being ranked #6 in Florida for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $5,517.
Trident Technical College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the school is a fairly large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Trident Technical College is ranked #8 for quality in the state of South Carolina. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $947.
Northern Kentucky University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, the school is a fairly large public institution.
Not only is Northern Kentucky University a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in Kentucky for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $1,287.
Wake Forest University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Wake Forest University is ranked #4 for quality in the state of North Carolina. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,527.
With a ranking of #24, St Petersburg College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. St Petersburg College is a large public school located in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Not only is St Petersburg College a great value, but it is also ranked #33 in Florida for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $181.
West Georgia Technical College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region list. West Georgia Technical College is located in Waco, Georgia and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
West Georgia Technical College has the honor of being ranked #24 in Georgia for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $836.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
View Best Value
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | SOWELA Technical Community College | Lake Charles, LA | Value Report |
| 52 | Oconee Fall Line Technical College | Sandersville, GA | Value Report |
| 53 | Eastern Florida State College | Cocoa, FL | Value Report |
| 54 | American Public University System | Charles Town, WV | Value Report |
| 55 | Athens Technical College | Athens, GA | Value Report |
| 56 | Pensacola State College | Pensacola, FL | Value Report |
| 57 | Lenoir Community College | Kinston, NC | Value Report |
| 58 | Southwestern Community College | Sylva, NC | Value Report |
| 59 | University of Mississippi | University, MS | Value Report |
| 60 | Columbus Technical College | Columbus, GA | Value Report |
| 60 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | Value Report |
| 62 | Florida Gateway College | Lake City, FL | Value Report |
| 63 | Northwest Florida State College | Niceville, FL | Value Report |
| 64 | The University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL | Value Report |
| 65 | Gulf Coast State College | Panama City, FL | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | Marshall University | Huntington, WV | Value Report |
| 92 | Southwest Mississippi Community College | Summit, MS | Value Report |
| 93 | Edgecombe Community College | Tarboro, NC | Value Report |
| 94 | Germanna Community College | Locust Grove, VA | Value Report |
| 94 | Wayne Community College | Goldsboro, NC | Value Report |
| 96 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide | Daytona Beach, FL | Value Report |
| 97 | Bishop State Community College | Mobile, AL | Value Report |
| 98 | Northeast Alabama Community College | Rainsville, AL | Value Report |
| 99 | Holmes Community College | Goodman, MS | Value Report |
| 100 | Johnston Community College | Smithfield, NC | Value Report |
| 101 | South Florida State College | Avon Park, FL | Value Report |
| 102 | Central Carolina Community College | Sanford, NC | Value Report |
| 103 | Cape Fear Community College | Wilmington, NC | Value Report |
| 104 | Delgado Community College | New Orleans, LA | Value Report |
| 105 | Pasco-Hernando State College | New Port Richey, FL | Value Report |
| 106 | Johnson University | Knoxville, TN | Value Report |
All Majors and Fields of Study >
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region ranking:
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 107 | Wytheville Community College | Wytheville, VA | Value Report |
| 108 | Richmond Community College | Hamlet, NC | Value Report |
| 109 | Lake-Sumter State College | Leesburg, FL | Value Report |
| 110 | Midlands Technical College | West Columbia, SC | Value Report |
| 111 | Chattahoochee Valley Community College | Phenix City, AL | Value Report |
| 112 | Furman University | Greenville, SC | Value Report |
| 113 | Roane State Community College | Harriman, TN | Value Report |
| 114 | Louisiana State University - Shreveport | Shreveport, LA | Value Report |
| 115 | University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia, SC | Value Report |
| 116 | North Florida College | Madison, FL | Value Report |
| 117 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA | Value Report |
| 118 | Palm Beach State College | Lake Worth, FL | Value Report |
| 119 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC | Value Report |
| 120 | Georgia State University-Perimeter College | Atlanta, GA | Value Report |
| 121 | Southwest Tennessee Community College | Memphis, TN | Value Report |
| Rank | College | Location | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | Pearl River Community College | Poplarville, MS | Value Report |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.