Best Value Schools National Liberal Arts Colleges
Best Value Schools Methodology
Which colleges and universities offer students the best value? The calculation used here takes into account a school's academic quality, as indicated by its 2013 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2011-2012 net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included, because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.
| Save | Rank | School | Percent receiving need-based grants: | Average cost after receiving grants based on need: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #31 |
Centre College
Danville, KY |
63.7% | $22,089 | |
| #32 |
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, IA |
76.2% | $20,780 | |
| #33 |
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL |
79.6% | $21,760 | |
| #34 |
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, CO |
39.4% | $21,820 | |
| #35 |
Davidson College
Davidson, NC |
42.9% | $24,669 | |
| #36 |
Thomas Aquinas College
Santa Paula, CA |
70.4% | $19,555 | |
| #37 |
Barnard College
New York, NY |
39.5% | $22,743 | |
| #38 |
Beloit College
Beloit, WI |
66.1% | $21,943 | |
| #39 |
Knox College
Galesburg, IL |
76.3% | $22,970 | |
| #40 |
Transylvania University
Lexington, KY |
68.3% | $21,127 |
