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National ranking · College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Lowest Net Price for Low-Income Students

Where can a student from a family earning under $30,000 attend for the least out of pocket? According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, using data retrieved March–July 2026, these 1,000-plus larger institutions charge the lowest net price for the lowest income band - after all grants and aid are applied.

$41
Lowest net price
100
Colleges ranked

The list in one line

For students from families earning under $30k, every one of these 100 colleges costs no more than $3,051 a year after aid. Dartmouth College is the lowest at $41.

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

$41
#1 lowest - Dartmouth College
$3,051
#100, the highest still on this list
100
large colleges ranked (enrollment 2,000+)

Live data rendered from the portal database; see the methodology for cohort, year, and eligibility details.

Top 15, Net price (income < $30k)

Live data, updated automatically whenever PlainCollege refreshes its dataset

USD

What this shows Two very different school types dominate: wealthy private universities whose endowments meet full need for low-income admits, and low-cost public community colleges - for a qualifying student, either can cost a fraction of the sticker price.

Source U.S. Department of Education

Here is where the #100 cutoff ($3,051 net price) lands among all US colleges:

The bar to make this top-100 list

Net price for income < $30k, College Scorecard

$3,051 Among the most affordable more affordable than 2% of 4,897 US colleges

$0–$2,000: 108 US colleges (2%). Below this entry. $2,000–$4,000: 240 US colleges (5%). This entry sits in this band. $4,000–$6,000: 326 US colleges (7%). Above this entry. $6,000–$8,000: 379 US colleges (8%). Above this entry. $8,000–$10,000: 417 US colleges (9%). Above this entry. $10,000–$12,000: 436 US colleges (9%). Above this entry. $12,000–$14,000: 423 US colleges (9%). Above this entry. $14,000–$16,000: 369 US colleges (8%). Above this entry. $16,000–$18,000: 405 US colleges (8%). Above this entry. $18,000–$20,000: 350 US colleges (7%). Above this entry. $20,000–$22,000: 314 US colleges (6%). Above this entry. $22,000–$24,000: 267 US colleges (5%). Above this entry. $24,000–$26,000: 203 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $26,000–$28,000: 184 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $28,000–$30,000: 142 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$32,000: 86 US colleges (2%). Above this entry. $32,000–$34,000: 63 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $34,000–$36,000: 47 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $36,000–$38,000: 36 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $38,000–$40,000: 25 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $40,000–$42,000: 14 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $42,000–$44,000: 9 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $44,000–$46,000: 16 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $46,000–$48,000: 9 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $48,000–$50,000: 6 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $50,000–$52,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $52,000–$54,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $54,000–$56,000: 3 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $56,000–$58,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $60,000–$62,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $64,000–$66,000: 1 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $92,000–$94,000: 1 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $114,000–$116,000: 1 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. #100 cutoff $0 $116,000 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 · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The full top 100

Filter by state, ownership sector, or minimum enrollment, then open any school profile for aid packaging context.

#CollegeStateNet price (income < $30k)Enrollment
1Dartmouth CollegeNH$414,541
2Princeton UniversityNJ$415,709
3Henry Ford CollegeMI$468,643
4Illinois Valley Community CollegeIL$1912,040
5College of the AlbemarleNC$3982,001
6Southern Regional Technical CollegeGA$4233,098
7Johns Hopkins UniversityMD$4285,693
8Durham Technical Community CollegeNC$5253,890
9CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNY$60716,154
10Lewis and Clark Community CollegeIL$7212,487
11Irvine Valley CollegeCA$73410,286
12Duke UniversityNC$7356,442
13Hartnell CollegeCA$8289,453
14Skyline CollegeCA$8427,620
15Joliet Junior CollegeIL$8909,306
16Middlesex Community CollegeMA$9435,412
17Lake Land CollegeIL$9792,448
18CUNY Hunter CollegeNY$1,02916,289
19CUNY Brooklyn CollegeNY$1,02910,543
20University of Michigan-Ann ArborMI$1,04334,177
21Trident Technical CollegeSC$1,05710,512
22CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNY$1,07311,590
23Lincoln Land Community CollegeIL$1,0793,976
24Schoolcraft Community College DistrictMI$1,0837,511
25Imperial Valley CollegeCA$1,1127,652
26George C Wallace Community College-DothanAL$1,1993,017
27CUNY City CollegeNY$1,25112,505
28Kalamazoo Valley Community CollegeMI$1,2904,997
29San Joaquin Delta CollegeCA$1,29115,781
30Middlesex CollegeNJ$1,3068,469
31West Georgia Technical CollegeGA$1,3115,163
32College of the MainlandTX$1,3523,368
33San Diego Miramar CollegeCA$1,35811,271
34Smith CollegeMA$1,3632,544
35Wayne Community CollegeNC$1,3712,739
36South Texas CollegeTX$1,39515,856
37Indiana University-NorthwestIN$1,4192,661
38Purdue University NorthwestIN$1,4325,671
39University of Florida-OnlineFL$1,4774,627
40University of Michigan-FlintMI$1,5174,411
41Cerritos CollegeCA$1,53818,870
42CUNY Queens CollegeNY$1,54112,550
43CUNY Lehman CollegeNY$1,58910,696
44Florence-Darlington Technical CollegeSC$1,5893,055
45Modesto Junior CollegeCA$1,65815,109
46West Valley CollegeCA$1,6586,416
47Texas Southmost CollegeTX$1,6963,372
48Washington University in St LouisMO$1,7167,857
49Johnston Community CollegeNC$1,7433,453
50Northwestern UniversityIL$1,7649,201
51Cornell UniversityNY$1,77615,995
52Wharton County Junior CollegeTX$1,7794,585
53Santa Monica CollegeCA$1,89621,440
54Kellogg Community CollegeMI$1,9242,971
55Taft CollegeCA$1,9343,556
56Washtenaw Community CollegeMI$1,9407,816
57Santa Ana CollegeCA$1,97022,485
58University of FloridaFL$1,98235,629
59University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNC$2,00420,752
60University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignIL$2,03836,258
61Michigan Technological UniversityMI$2,0455,955
62Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeNC$2,0569,471
63Shasta CollegeCA$2,1076,128
64Dallas CollegeTX$2,12043,869
65Victoria CollegeTX$2,1442,351
66Northeastern UniversityMA$2,26417,326
67Trinity Valley Community CollegeTX$2,3385,655
68Suffolk County Community CollegeNY$2,39314,218
69Triton CollegeIL$2,3976,902
70El Paso Community CollegeTX$2,50924,214
71College of the CanyonsCA$2,52215,832
72Del Mar CollegeTX$2,5419,501
73Wellesley CollegeMA$2,5462,300
74Ferris State UniversityMI$2,5568,106
75Chattahoochee Technical CollegeGA$2,5618,727
76Florida State College at JacksonvilleFL$2,56319,648
77Indian River State CollegeFL$2,59411,822
78Saddleback CollegeCA$2,59617,684
79Northern Kentucky UniversityKY$2,6038,246
80Pima Community CollegeAZ$2,60514,242
81Spartanburg Community CollegeSC$2,6695,006
82Sandhills Community CollegeNC$2,6742,539
83California State University-San BernardinoCA$2,68115,023
84Moraine Valley Community CollegeIL$2,7107,490
85South Suburban CollegeIL$2,7222,042
86Midland CollegeTX$2,7745,542
87Orange County Community CollegeNY$2,7973,989
88Delta CollegeMI$2,8196,573
89Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeOH$2,8235,667
90CUNY York CollegeNY$2,8614,345
91California State University-Los AngelesCA$2,87719,562
92Gulf Coast State CollegeFL$2,9153,934
93Cuyahoga Community College DistrictOH$2,94113,382
94University of Maryland-College ParkMD$2,96230,760
95Westmoreland County Community CollegePA$2,9722,441
96Central New Mexico Community CollegeNM$2,97515,203
97Antelope Valley Community College DistrictCA$3,01211,534
98Las Positas CollegeCA$3,0207,299
99Florida Atlantic UniversityFL$3,02223,757
100Pasadena City CollegeCA$3,05121,466

About this ranking

Net price is what a student actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price - the number that matters far more than published tuition. This ranking uses the College Scorecard's net price for students from families earning under $30,000 a year, the lowest income band the federal data tracks, and limits the list to institutions enrolling at least 2,000 students. Two very different kinds of school dominate the top: wealthy private universities whose large endowments let them meet full need for low-income admits, and low-cost public community colleges. For a qualifying student, either can cost a small fraction of the headline price.

Read the full methodology and data sources →

Caveats and limitations

The figure shown is an average across all enrolled students in that income band at each school, not a guarantee for any individual family - actual aid packages vary by a student's specific finances, state of residence, and the year they apply. A school appearing low on this list can still be expensive for a family just above the $30,000 cutoff.

Many of the private universities near the top of this list are also highly selective, so a low net price does not mean easy admission. This ranking measures cost for students who are admitted and enroll, not the likelihood of getting in.

This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Net price figures are averages for aid recipients and can vary by individual family circumstances - 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 and IPEDS 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.