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National ranking · College Scorecard · Mar-Jul 2026 retrievals

Most Affordable Colleges

Using U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data retrieved March-July 2026, these colleges rank lowest on average net price among operating U.S. campuses with at least 1,000 students. Net price is what full-time, first-time Title IV recipients actually paid after grants and scholarships - not sticker tuition alone.

$32
Lowest average net price
100
Colleges ranked
$3,864
#100 cutoff

The list in one line

Every college on this list reports an average net price of $3,864 or less for full-time, first-time undergraduates. Canada College is the lowest at $32.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

$32
#1 - Canada College
$3,864
#100 cutoff on this list
1,000+
enrollment required per school

Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients; see methodology for cohort details.

Top 15 most affordable colleges by average net price

Lower bars mean lower average net price after aid

avg net price

What this shows Public regional campuses and community-college feeders often dominate low net price - compare earnings and graduation rates before treating cost alone as value.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar-Jul 2026 retrievals

Where the #100 cutoff sits nationally

Average net price among colleges with enrollment 1,000+

$3,864 Among the most affordable more affordable than 1% of 2,142 US colleges

$0–$2,000: 26 US colleges (1%). Below this entry. $2,000–$4,000: 82 US colleges (4%). This entry sits in this band. $4,000–$6,000: 175 US colleges (8%). Above this entry. $6,000–$8,000: 191 US colleges (9%). Above this entry. $8,000–$10,000: 195 US colleges (9%). Above this entry. $10,000–$12,000: 170 US colleges (8%). Above this entry. $12,000–$14,000: 192 US colleges (9%). Above this entry. $14,000–$16,000: 161 US colleges (8%). Above this entry. $16,000–$18,000: 133 US colleges (6%). Above this entry. $18,000–$20,000: 128 US colleges (6%). Above this entry. $20,000–$22,000: 105 US colleges (5%). Above this entry. $22,000–$24,000: 119 US colleges (6%). Above this entry. $24,000–$26,000: 80 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $26,000–$28,000: 74 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $28,000–$30,000: 83 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $30,000–$32,000: 55 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $32,000–$34,000: 36 US colleges (2%). Above this entry. $34,000–$36,000: 30 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $36,000–$38,000: 30 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $38,000–$40,000: 20 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $40,000–$42,000: 24 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $42,000–$44,000: 5 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $44,000–$46,000: 4 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $46,000–$48,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $48,000–$50,000: 11 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$52,000: 4 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $52,000–$54,000: 3 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $56,000–$58,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $58,000–$60,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. #100 cutoff $0 $60,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $2K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar-Jul 2026 retrievals

Full ranking table

Filter by state, ownership sector, or minimum enrollment, then open any school profile for earnings and program outcomes.

# School Name StateAvg Net PriceMedian Earnings (10yr)Enrollment
1 Canada College CA $32 $50,087 5,175
2 College of the Sequoias CA $480 $39,092 11,562
3 College of San Mateo CA $536 $54,172 7,977
4 Wiregrass Georgia Technical College GA $614 $30,864 2,887
5 Henry Ford College MI $660 $34,795 8,643
6 Southern Regional Technical College GA $813 $31,293 3,098
7 Cleveland Community College NC $995 $33,755 1,097
8 Imperial Valley College CA $1,115 $34,487 7,652
9 Chipola College FL $1,133 $37,378 1,312
10 South Georgia Technical College GA $1,164 $30,364 1,407
11 George C Wallace Community College-Dothan AL $1,170 $31,399 3,017
12 Texas A&M University-Central Texas TX $1,300 - 1,750
13 College of the Mainland TX $1,342 $39,639 3,368
14 Trident Technical College SC $1,406 $38,253 10,512
15 St Petersburg College FL $1,471 $42,557 18,950
16 Macomb Community College MI $1,618 $41,596 13,876
17 Lamar State College-Orange TX $1,655 $36,587 1,391
18 Durham Technical Community College NC $1,664 $36,142 3,890
19 Joliet Junior College IL $1,672 $42,889 9,306
20 Skyline College CA $1,738 $55,702 7,620
21 South Texas College TX $1,751 $36,788 15,856
22 Johnston Community College NC $1,776 $37,310 3,453
23 West Virginia University at Parkersburg WV $1,807 $35,171 1,868
24 Manatee Technical College FL $1,808 $38,129 1,486
25 Oglala Lakota College SD $1,895 $22,517 1,097
26 Victor Valley College CA $1,947 $36,119 4,210
27 Florence-Darlington Technical College SC $2,004 $32,748 3,055
28 Hartnell College CA $2,039 $44,316 9,453
29 Rockingham Community College NC $2,060 $32,480 1,065
30 Irvine Valley College CA $2,090 $49,156 10,286
31 Santiago Canyon College CA $2,129 $44,956 10,579
32 Illinois Valley Community College IL $2,232 $40,810 2,040
33 Wayne Community College NC $2,245 $34,148 2,739
34 College of the Albemarle NC $2,253 $33,234 2,001
35 Lake Land College IL $2,254 $38,877 2,448
36 Schoolcraft Community College District MI $2,260 $42,722 7,511
37 Middlesex College NJ $2,288 $46,861 8,469
38 Bridgerland Technical College UT $2,338 $38,347 1,567
39 Spartanburg Community College SC $2,405 $37,097 5,006
40 San Joaquin Delta College CA $2,407 $43,212 15,781
41 Cerritos College CA $2,424 $41,156 18,870
42 West Georgia Technical College GA $2,457 $35,479 5,163
43 Southwest Mississippi Community College MS $2,525 $33,227 1,474
44 Yuba College CA $2,576 $39,552 4,779
45 Middlesex Community College MA $2,624 $50,651 5,412
46 Carroll Community College MD $2,725 $44,349 1,990
47 Northeast Alabama Community College AL $2,756 $34,913 1,629
48 Santa Monica College CA $2,779 $42,193 21,440
49 Northern Marianas College MP $2,789 $27,836 1,225
50 Lurleen B Wallace Community College AL $2,792 $32,307 1,097
51 Modesto Junior College CA $2,818 $42,368 15,109
52 Taft College CA $2,823 $38,861 3,556
53 Moraine Valley Community College IL $2,829 $43,892 7,490
54 Northwest Shoals Community College AL $2,838 $33,828 1,969
55 Lamar State College-Port Arthur TX $2,846 $37,120 1,508
56 Shasta College CA $2,878 $39,269 6,128
57 Robeson Community College NC $2,892 $29,036 1,551
58 Hazard Community and Technical College KY $2,955 $29,868 1,506
59 Kalamazoo Valley Community College MI $2,979 $38,618 4,997
60 CUNY Hunter College NY $2,984 $63,163 16,289
61 CUNY Bernard M Baruch College NY $3,033 $75,971 16,154
62 Victoria College TX $3,043 $42,382 2,351
63 Wilson Community College NC $3,064 $32,973 1,373
64 Texas Southmost College TX $3,085 $41,900 3,372
65 CUNY Brooklyn College NY $3,103 $60,752 10,543
66 Santa Ana College CA $3,133 $43,552 22,485
67 CUNY Lehman College NY $3,148 $58,013 10,696
68 CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice NY $3,203 $56,195 11,590
69 El Paso Community College TX $3,206 $35,212 24,214
70 Dallas College TX $3,214 $41,714 43,869
71 Ogden-Weber Technical College UT $3,229 $35,032 2,928
72 Clovis Community College NM $3,230 $34,020 1,309
73 South Suburban College IL $3,242 $33,680 2,042
74 Washtenaw Community College MI $3,249 $39,449 7,816
75 Snead State Community College AL $3,249 $35,735 1,427
76 Vance-Granville Community College NC $3,286 $34,304 1,665
77 Craven Community College NC $3,289 $34,231 1,989
78 San Diego Miramar College CA $3,337 $48,224 11,271
79 Nash Community College NC $3,338 $34,912 1,689
80 Central Piedmont Community College NC $3,345 $37,865 15,067
81 Lewis and Clark Community College IL $3,349 $37,724 2,487
82 Del Mar College TX $3,399 $38,656 9,501
83 Pima Community College AZ $3,405 $39,810 14,242
84 Chattahoochee Technical College GA $3,407 $37,138 8,727
85 West Valley College CA $3,423 $51,688 6,416
86 Gadsden State Community College AL $3,515 $32,937 3,548
87 Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College KY $3,537 $34,242 3,308
88 Fayetteville Technical Community College NC $3,589 $31,861 9,471
89 Texas A & M International University TX $3,637 $48,386 6,667
90 Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus NM $3,645 $38,550 1,300
91 Carl Sandburg College IL $3,662 $35,274 1,051
92 College of the Canyons CA $3,702 $49,022 15,832
93 Mississippi Delta Community College MS $3,715 $28,421 1,413
94 Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College KY $3,731 $29,482 1,721
95 Richland Community College IL $3,741 $38,793 1,346
96 CUNY City College NY $3,776 $66,039 12,505
97 Indian River State College FL $3,815 $38,315 11,822
98 Antelope Valley Community College District CA $3,860 $36,526 11,534
99 Hillsborough College FL $3,861 $40,782 21,472
100 Pasadena City College CA $3,864 $43,937 21,466

About This Ranking

Schools are ranked by average net price for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. Only operating colleges with enrollment of at least 1,000 are included so tiny specialty campuses do not dominate. Median earnings ten years after entry are shown for context but do not affect rank order. See our methodology for source vintage and cohort definitions.

Caveats and limitations

"Most affordable" here means lowest reported average net price, not guaranteed cost for any one family. Your price depends on income, residency, and aid packaging. A low average can also reflect a campus that enrolls many high-need students receiving large grants.

For earnings-adjusted value, see our best value ranking. For low-income-specific net price, see lowest net price for families under $30k.

This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Use each school's net price calculator for a personalized estimate.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Rankings are computed directly from College Scorecard data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar-Jul 2026 retrievals.