HighSchoolOS Best Colleges for Low-Income Students
For families earning under $30,000, the sticker price is meaningless; what matters is the net price after aid. These schools charge the lowest net price to the lowest income bracket.
Explore this ranking interactively| # | School | Location | Acceptance | SAT avg | Net price | Grad rate | Undergrads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | 5.4% | 1,553 | $28,699 | 97% | 10,650 |
| 2 | Williams College | Williamstown, MA | 8.3% | 1,533 | $17,716 | 94% | 2,076 |
| 3 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 3.6% | 1,553 | $13,807 | 92% | 7,554 |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | 2.6% | n/a | $16,075 | 94% | 987 |
| 5 | Washington and Lee University | Lexington, VA | 14.0% | 1,498 | $23,781 | 94% | 1,881 |
| 6 | University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | 4.5% | 1,554 | $14,860 | 96% | 7,569 |
| 7 | Brown University | Providence, RI | 5.4% | 1,546 | $25,184 | 96% | 7,226 |
| 8 | Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | 4.6% | 1,553 | $6,128 | 98% | 5,709 |
| 9 | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH | 5.4% | 1,534 | $29,519 | 96% | 4,541 |
| 10 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | 6.4% | 1,553 | $18,809 | 94% | 5,693 |
| 11 | Duke University | Durham, NC | 5.7% | 1,548 | $29,612 | 97% | 6,442 |
| 12 | Carl Sandburg College | Galesburg, IL | n/a | n/a | $3,662 | n/a | 1,051 |
| 13 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI | 15.6% | 1,465 | $13,138 | 93% | 34,177 |
| 14 | Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield, IL | n/a | n/a | $4,299 | n/a | 3,976 |
| 15 | Amherst College | Amherst, MA | 9.0% | 1,533 | $23,367 | 94% | 1,911 |
| 16 | Smith College | Northampton, MA | 21% | 1,500 | $27,579 | 89% | 2,544 |
| 17 | Indiana University-Northwest | Gary, IN | 73% | 1,055 | $5,130 | 37% | 2,661 |
| 18 | Purdue University Northwest | Hammond, IN | 72% | 1,024 | $6,079 | 43% | 5,671 |
| 19 | University of Michigan-Flint | Flint, MI | 70% | 1,102 | $7,007 | 40% | 4,411 |
| 20 | University of Minnesota-Morris | Morris, MN | 75% | 1,150 | $8,837 | 63% | 936 |
| 21 | Washington University in St Louis | St. Louis, MO | 12.1% | 1,530 | $21,786 | 94% | 7,857 |
| 22 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 7.7% | 1,533 | $29,167 | 95% | 9,201 |
| 23 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | 8.8% | 1,535 | $28,690 | 95% | 15,995 |
| 24 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | 24% | 1,403 | $6,541 | 91% | 35,629 |
| 25 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC | 15.3% | 1,439 | $11,655 | 91% | 20,752 |
| 26 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL | 42% | 1,440 | $14,355 | 85% | 36,258 |
| 27 | Michigan Technological University | Houghton, MI | 92% | 1,258 | $14,182 | 68% | 5,955 |
| 28 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA | 5.2% | 1,497 | $30,915 | 91% | 17,326 |
| 29 | Triton College | River Grove, IL | n/a | n/a | $4,138 | n/a | 6,902 |
| 30 | Bates College | Lewiston, ME | 13.3% | 1,468 | $29,351 | 90% | 1,760 |
| 31 | Kishwaukee College | Malta, IL | n/a | n/a | $4,574 | n/a | 1,936 |
| 32 | Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA | 14.1% | 1,520 | $25,496 | 92% | 2,300 |
| 33 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI | 91% | 1,012 | $8,624 | 47% | 8,106 |
| 34 | Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights, KY | 68% | 1,087 | $8,191 | 52% | 8,246 |
| 35 | St. Mary's College of Maryland | St. Mary's City, MD | 69% | 1,261 | $18,441 | 70% | 1,603 |
| 36 | University of Maryland-College Park | College Park, MD | 45% | 1,473 | $15,678 | 89% | 30,760 |
| 37 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL | 66% | 1,127 | $8,752 | 63% | 23,757 |
| 38 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA | 34% | 1,473 | $19,096 | 89% | 7,055 |
| 39 | Bowdoin College | Brunswick, ME | 7.1% | 1,520 | $14,398 | 95% | 1,873 |
| 40 | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | 5.9% | 1,549 | $15,846 | 94% | 7,208 |
| 41 | University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma | Chickasha, OK | 66% | 1,152 | $6,624 | 44% | 941 |
| 42 | Lake Superior State University | Sault Ste Marie, MI | n/a | n/a | $12,822 | 51% | 1,325 |
| 43 | New College of Florida | Sarasota, FL | 73% | 1,150 | $7,195 | 67% | 843 |
| 44 | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | New York, NY | 21% | 1,410 | $13,269 | 81% | 842 |
| 45 | Indiana University-Southeast | New Albany, IN | 84% | 1,072 | $7,888 | 39% | 3,170 |
| 46 | Oakton College | Des Plaines, IL | n/a | n/a | $5,183 | n/a | 6,072 |
| 47 | York County Community College | Wells, ME | n/a | n/a | $5,875 | n/a | 1,133 |
| 48 | College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn, IL | n/a | n/a | $7,401 | n/a | 16,114 |
| 49 | Colby College | Waterville, ME | 7.1% | 1,501 | $17,180 | 89% | 2,407 |
| 50 | University of South Florida | Tampa, FL | 43% | 1,227 | $9,812 | 77% | 37,207 |
Acceptance rate, net price (average cost after aid), and graduation rate are from the most recent federal data; test ranges and deadlines are verified against each school for the 2025-2026 cycle. Click any school for its full profile, deadlines, and supplemental essay prompts.