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: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |
Amherst College
Amherst, MA |
57.1% | $15,557 | |
| #2 |
Williams College
Williamstown, MA |
52.4% | $18,076 | |
| #3 |
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY |
66.4% | $19,640 | |
| #4 |
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA |
57.6% | $19,329 | |
| #5 |
Pomona College
Claremont, CA |
53.5% | $19,250 | |
| #6 |
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA |
52.5% | $19,545 | |
| #7 |
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA |
70.0% | $19,562 | |
| #8 |
Soka University of America
Aliso Viejo, CA |
69.2% | $16,561 | |
| #9 |
Haverford College
Haverford, PA |
49.2% | $20,367 | |
| #10 |
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME |
45.9% | $20,565 | |
| #11 |
University of Richmond
Univ. of Richmond, VA |
44.9% | $18,309 | |
| #12 |
College of the Atlantic
Bar Harbor, ME |
83.9% | $17,793 | |
| #13 |
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA |
41.8% | $20,976 | |
| #14 |
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA |
39.8% | $20,566 | |
| #15 |
Smith College
Northampton, MA |
59.4% | $22,506 | |
| #16 |
Macalester College
St. Paul, MN |
69.4% | $23,484 | |
| #17 |
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY |
34.7% | $19,378 | |
| #18 |
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY |
44.7% | $21,975 | |
| #19 |
Colby College
Waterville, ME |
40.9% | $20,907 | |
| #20 |
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA |
68.6% | $23,835 | |
| #21 |
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT |
45.7% | $22,480 | |
| #22 |
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT |
41.5% | $23,530 | |
| #23 |
Agnes Scott College
Decatur, GA |
75.7% | $19,910 | |
| #24 |
Trinity College
Hartford, CT |
40.6% | $19,677 | |
| #25 |
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA |
58.9% | $23,819 | |
| #26 |
Carleton College
Northfield, MN |
56.0% | $26,080 | |
| #27 |
Wofford College
Spartanburg, SC |
56.4% | $18,551 | |
| #28 |
Bates College
Lewiston, ME |
44.0% | $22,490 | |
| #29 |
Hanover College
Hanover, IN |
81.3% | $19,360 | |
| #30 |
Scripps College
Claremont, CA |
40.8% | $22,712 | |
| #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 |
