15 Best Value Small Colleges Under $30K a Year
Sticker shock is real. According to the Education Data Initiative, college typically runs nearly $40K per year these days, but here's the thing: you don't need to drain your savings to land somewhere that actually matters.
We dug into SmartAsset's comprehensive analysis of over 1,000 U.S. small colleges to find schools where quality education doesn't come with a six-figure price tag. Here's a look at 15 institutions that prove you can get an excellent degree while keeping your total annual cost under $30K.
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1. SUNY College at Geneseo (Geneseo, New York)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 3,869
Annual Cost of Attendance: $27,709
Graduation Rate: 72%
Median Earnings: $67,316
2. Ramapo College of New Jersey (Mahwah, New Jersey)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 4,898
Annual Cost of Attendance: $29,483
Graduation Rate: 71%
Median Earnings: $67,541
3. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro, New Mexico)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 995
Annual Cost of Attendance: $24,967
Graduation Rate: 57%
Median Earnings: $76,489
4. Keene State College (Keene, New Hampshire)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 2,699
Annual Cost of Attendance: $29,993
Graduation Rate: 59%
Median Earnings: $54,368
5. University of Wisconsin-River Falls (River Falls, Wisconsin)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 4,205
Annual Cost of Attendance: $19,781
Graduation Rate: 59%
Median Earnings: $54,458
6. Oregon Institute of Technology (Klamath Falls, Oregon)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 2,892
Annual Cost of Attendance: $27,524
Graduation Rate: 56%
Median Earnings: $72,273
7. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (Rapid City, South Dakota)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 2,071
Annual Cost of Attendance: $25,385
Graduation Rate: 56%
Median Earnings: $72,257
8. SUNY Oneonta (Oneonta, New York)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 4,643
Annual Cost of Attendance: $28,821
Graduation Rate: 70%
Median Earnings: $60,386
9. Truman State University (Kirksville, Missouri)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 2,513
Annual Cost of Attendance: $25,115
Graduation Rate: 69%
Median Earnings: $56,280
10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (Utica, New York)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 1,849
Annual Cost of Attendance: $23,741
Graduation Rate: 57%
Median Earnings: $64,355
11. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Syracuse, New York)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 1,839
Annual Cost of Attendance: $28,133
Graduation Rate: 68%
Median Earnings: $55,763
12. Worcester State University (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 3,930
Annual Cost of Attendance: $22,874
Graduation Rate: 59%
Median Earnings: $60,624
13. Goldey-Beacom College (Wilmington, Delaware)
Type: Private
Enrollment: 691
Annual Cost of Attendance: $26,502
Graduation Rate: 58%
Median Earnings: $59,892
14. State University of New York at Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, New York)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 3,769
Annual Cost of Attendance: $28,244
Graduation Rate: 59%
Median Earnings: $56,403
15. University of Illinois Springfield (Springfield, Illinois)
Type: Public
Enrollment: 2,263
Annual Cost of Attendance: $25,521
Graduation Rate: 57%
Median Earnings: $57,103
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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