Cost
These public colleges have the lowest average net price in our dataset. 167 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify for this list, and colleges with a missing value for the fields used here are left out rather than guessed. The table below shows the top 20, led by CUNY Hunter College (New York).
Across all 167 qualifying colleges the net price runs from $2,984 (CUNY Hunter College) to $32,875 (Pennsylvania State University), with a median of $15,327. For comparison, the median across the 347 colleges in the full dataset that report it is $19,857.
| # | College | State | Net price | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $2,984 | $7,382 | $15,332 | 56.9% |
| 2 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | $3,033 | $7,464 | $15,414 | 72.1% |
| 3 | Texas A & M International University | TX | $3,637 | $7,894 | $19,454 | 46.5% |
| 4 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | $3,967 | $7,160 | $19,760 | 53.0% |
| 5 | California State University-San Bernardino | CA | $4,564 | $8,093 | $20,693 | 54.9% |
| 6 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | TX | $4,831 | $9,987 | $19,827 | 50.9% |
| 7 | CUNY New York City College of Technology | NY | $5,127 | $7,332 | $15,282 | 21.5% |
| 8 | United States Merchant Marine Academy | NY | $6,174 | $895 | $895 | 82.4% |
| 9 | University of Florida | FL | $6,541 | $6,381 | $28,659 | 91.1% |
| 10 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | $6,555 | $7,470 | $20,070 | 70.2% |
| 11 | California State University-Fresno | CA | $7,000 | $7,350 | $19,950 | 57.0% |
| 12 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $7,021 | $7,458 | $20,058 | 57.0% |
| 13 | Louisiana State University-Shreveport | LA | $7,022 | $7,518 | $7,518 | 37.5% |
| 14 | University of Puerto Rico | PR | $8,484 | $6,284 | $6,284 | 37.1% |
| 15 | Florida Atlantic University | FL | $8,752 | $4,879 | $17,324 | 62.6% |
| 16 | University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras | PR | $9,175 | $5,354 | $5,354 | 50.3% |
| 17 | University of Virginia's College at Wise | VA | $9,210 | $11,780 | $28,010 | 47.1% |
| 18 | Florida International University | FL | $9,288 | $6,565 | $18,964 | 74.4% |
| 19 | West Virginia University Institute of Technology | WV | $9,337 | $8,424 | $21,072 | 33.0% |
| 20 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | $9,338 | $8,018 | $20,618 | 56.3% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution, May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26). Data fetched 2026-10-14. Open any row for the full college profile.
Of the 167 qualifying colleges, 167 are public and 0 are private nonprofit. Within the table, California appears 6 times, New York appears 4 times, Florida appears 3 times. The median in-state tuition among the 20 listed colleges that report it is $7,420, against $18,045 for the whole dataset. The median out-of-state tuition among the 20 listed colleges that report it is $19,607, against $35,690 for the whole dataset. 12 of the 20 listed colleges report an SAT range, and the midpoints of those ranges have a median near 1110.
Public colleges usually charge residents much less than non-residents, but the net price in the Scorecard blends all students who received aid. Compare it with the in-state and out-of-state tuition columns.
Each column in the table means the following.
A low net price at a public college can mostly benefit in-state students. Out-of-state students often pay more.
To see how your own score compares, read what a 1110 SAT or a 21 ACT means for a college list, then check college costs by state for price context.
CUNY Hunter College is first on this list, with net price of $2,984. It leads 167 qualifying colleges in the dataset, so check what the number measures before treating it as a recommendation.
167 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify, and the table shows the top 20. Colleges with a missing value are excluded.
No. The list sorts on one number. It does not measure teaching, fit, program strength or what you would pay, so use it to find colleges to look at and then check each profile and the college's own website.
Colleges are drawn from the 354-college dataset built from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26); fetched 2026-10-14). Selection: Four-year public and private nonprofit colleges with at least 500 undergraduates: every college admitting 55% or fewer applicants, plus the 150 largest by undergraduate enrollment. Colleges that do not report test ranges are included with ranges shown as not reported. Reporting periods for the fields on this page: AcadYr 2021-22; AcadYr 2022-23; Fall 2016 or AcadYr 2016-17 entry cohort, as applicable. Full definitions are on the methodology page, and the numbers are available as an open download.
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