Vanderbilt University.Facebook/Vanderbilt University
As Kiplinger details in its 2017 ranking of the best colleges for the value, which accounted for acceptance and graduation rates relative to debt, some of the most worthwhile schools are cheaper and less well-known than their Ivy League counterparts.
These schools don't all have the same brand recognition, but they may be smarter choices in the long run.
17. Rice University
Admission rate: 16%
Total cost per year: $58,448
Avg. need-based aid: $36,025
Avg. debt at graduation: $25,528
16. Wesleyan University
Admission rate: 22%
Total cost per year: $66,062
Avg. need-based aid: $41,244
Avg. debt at graduation: $24,860
15. Williams College
Admission rate: 18%
Total cost per year: $66,280
Avg. need-based aid: $46,007
Avg. debt at graduation: $16,593
14. Amherst College
Admission rate: 14%
Total cost per year: $67,446
Avg. need-based aid: $49,134
Avg. debt at graduation: $15,756
13. Yale University
Admission rate: 7%
Total cost per year: $68,230
Avg. need-based aid: $47,960
Avg. debt at graduation: $15,521
12. Pomona College
Admission rate: 10%
Total cost per year: $65,857
Avg. need-based aid: $42,064
Avg. debt at graduation: $13,381
11. Middlebury College
Admission rate: 17%
Total cost per year: $65,332
Avg. need-based aid: $41,778
Avg. debt at graduation: $17,797
10. Wellesley College
Admission rate: 30%
Total cost per year: $65,016
Avg. need-based aid: $44,218
Avg. debt at graduation: $12,455
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Admission rate: 30%
Total cost per year: $46,576
Avg. need-based aid: $17,244
Avg. debt at graduation: $20,127
8. Vanderbilt University
Admission rate: 12%
Total cost per year: $62,598
Avg. need-based aid: $40,267
Avg. debt at graduation: $21,506
7. Thomas Aquinas College
Admission rate: 75%
Total cost per year: $32,500
Avg. need-based aid: $14,997
Avg. debt at graduation: $16,901
6. Harvard University
Admission rate: 6%
Total cost per year: $64,565
Avg. need-based aid: $46,409
Avg. debt at graduation: $16,723
5. Washington and Lee University
Admission rate: 24%
Total cost per year: $61,477
Avg. need-based aid: $42,322
Avg. debt at graduation: $21,683
4. Duke University
Admission rate: 11%
Total cost per year: $66,963
Avg. need-based aid: $44,725
Avg. debt at graduation: $19,104
3. Princeton University
Admission rate: 7%
Total cost per year: $61,140
Avg. need-based aid: $44,890
Avg. debt at graduation: $8,577
2. Davidson College
Admission rate: 22%
Total cost per year: $62,923
Avg. need-based aid: $40,140
Avg. debt at graduation: $19,929
1. Swarthmore College
Admission rate: 12%
Total cost per year: $64,840
Avg. need-based aid: $44,256
Avg. debt at graduation: $18,262
