23 Best Value Colleges for Budget-conscious Students

For the majority of families, cost is one of the biggest factors in the college decision-making process. In fact, high tuition prices often deter low-income students from even applying to some of the nation's top schools. But what they might not realize is that after available grants and scholarships are taken into consideration their actual out-of pocket cost to attend some of these colleges ends up being quite a bit less than what's published. To help students find the best bang for their buck, the U.S. Department of Education has compiled a list of the 23 colleges that offer the lowest net prices and highest potential incomes after graduation for students with a family income of $0-$48,000. Here are some of the best options for students who have the grades but not the cash: RELATED: How much financial aid will you get? Use this tool to get an idea. Slides: 1. Amherst College ï ¿ ½ a. Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $56,800 ï ¿ ½ b. Average annual net price for low-income students: $3,739 RELATED: How 7 different assets can affect your financial aid eligibility Photo attribute: "Amherst College Main Quad" by David Emmerman - PicasaWeb. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons 2. Bowdoin College ï ¿ ½ a. Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $54,800 ï ¿ ½ b. Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,731 RELATED: 5 tips to crafting the perfect admissions essay Photo attribute: "Buck12" by Buck Center - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons 3. Brown University ï ¿ ½ a. Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $59,700 ï ¿ ½ b. Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,104 RELATED: Surprising facts about scholarships 4. Columbia University (NYC) ï ¿ ½ a. Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $72,900 ï ¿ ½ b. Average annual net price for low-income students: $5,497 RELATED: The new SAT: Does your dream school require it? Photo attribute: "Earl Hall Columbia University NYC". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 5. Dartmouth College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $67,100 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,468 RELATED: Avoid these 529 plan withdrawal traps Photo attribute: By Kane5187 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 6. Duke University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $76,700 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,280 RELATED: Will a high school part-time job help with college admissions? Photo attribute: "Westduke" by Smithfl - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 7. Georgia Institute of Technology ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $74,000 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,875 RELATED: How to prepare now for that first tuition bill Photo attribute: "Tech Tower-6" by Mistercontributer - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 8. Hamilton College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $57,300 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,245 RELATED: Will the Student Aid Bill of Rights help your family? Photo attribute: "ElihuRootHouse1" by lvklock - Own work. Licensed under GFDL via Commons 9. Harvard University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $87,200 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $3,386 RELATED: 6 steps to landing in the Ivy Leagues Photo attribute: "Widener Library" by Caroline Culler (User:Wgreaves) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Commons 10. Haverford College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $55,600 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $5,648 RELATED: 5 changes to the SAT and how parents are reacting Photo attribute: "Haverfordfounders" by Jackbauerinvc. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 11. Massachusetts Institute of Technology ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $91,600 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,733 RELATED: 4 things to watch out for when applying to a top school Photo attribute: "MIT Building 10 and the Great Dome, Cambridge MA" by John Phelan - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons 12. Massachusetts Maritime Academy ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $79,500 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,519 RELATED: Being smart about recommendation letters before senior year of high school 13. Princeton University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $75,100 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $5,720 RELATED: How younger students can build a competitive profile for the Ivy League Photo attribute: By Photo: Andreas Praefcke (Own work (own photograph)) 14. Rice University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $59,900 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,960 RELATED: 100 weird scholarship ideas Photo attribute: "McNairHall 1". Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons 15. Stanford University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $80,900 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $3,895 RELATED: How you can help your child ace the SAT or ACT Photo attribute: "James H. Clark Center at night HDR-2" by Justin Lebar - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 16. Trinity College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $56,100 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,874 RELATED: I won't qualify for financial aid but I still need help paying for college Photo attribute: "Trincolllibrarysnow2003". Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikipedia 17. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $57,900 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,156 RELATED: Yes, your 529 plan will affect financial aid Photo attribute: "UniversityofMichiganLawLibrary" by AndrewHorne - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 18. University of Pennsylvania ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $78,200 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,614 RELATED: Want to land a great job? Here's where you should go to school Photo attribute: "Penn campus 2" by Bryan Y.W. Shin at the English language Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 19. University of Virginia ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $58,600 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,007 RELATED: 7 things you may not know about student loan repayment Photo attribute: Alderman Library" by Vtn5n - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons 20. Vanderbilt University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $60,900 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,147 RELATED: 8 tips on how to make student loans work for you Photo attribute: "CorneliusVanderbiltStatue" by Dansan4444 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 21. Washington and Lee University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $77,600 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,663 RELATED: Is online college a cheaper option for your high school grad? Photo attribute: "2008-0831-WashingtonandLeeUniversity" by Bobak Ha'Eri - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons 22. Williams College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $58,100 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $8,202 RELATED: 10 things you need to know about getting scholarships Photo attribute: "Hopkins Observatory Williams College" by Beyond My Ken - Own work. Licensed under GFDL via Commons 23. Yale University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $66,000 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,637 RELATED: 9 tips on getting into an Ivy League school Photo attribute: "Yale School of Management Evans Hall front" by Nick Allen - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons For the majority of families, cost is one of the biggest factors in the college decision-making process. In fact, high tuition prices often deter low-income students from even applying to some of the nation's top schools. But what they might not realize is that after available grants and scholarships are taken into consideration their actual out-of pocket cost to attend some of these colleges ends up being quite a bit less than what's published. To help students find the best bang for their buck, the U.S. Department of Education has compiled a list of the 23 colleges that offer the lowest net prices and highest potential incomes after graduation for students with a family income of $0-$48,000. Here are some of the best options for students who have the grades but not the cash: RELATED: How much financial aid will you get? Use this tool to get an idea. Slides: 1. Amherst College ï ¿ ½ a. Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $56,800 ï ¿ ½ b. Average annual net price for low-income students: $3,739 RELATED: How 7 different assets can affect your financial aid eligibility Photo attribute: "Amherst College Main Quad" by David Emmerman - PicasaWeb. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons 2. Bowdoin College ï ¿ ½ a. Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $54,800 ï ¿ ½ b. Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,731 RELATED: 5 tips to crafting the perfect admissions essay Photo attribute: "Buck12" by Buck Center - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons 3. Brown University ï ¿ ½ a. Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $59,700 ï ¿ ½ b. Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,104 RELATED: Surprising facts about scholarships 4. Columbia University (NYC) ï ¿ ½ a. Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $72,900 ï ¿ ½ b. Average annual net price for low-income students: $5,497 RELATED: The new SAT: Does your dream school require it? Photo attribute: "Earl Hall Columbia University NYC". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 5. Dartmouth College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $67,100 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,468 RELATED: Avoid these 529 plan withdrawal traps Photo attribute: By Kane5187 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 6. Duke University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $76,700 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,280 RELATED: Will a high school part-time job help with college admissions? Photo attribute: "Westduke" by Smithfl - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 7. Georgia Institute of Technology ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $74,000 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,875 RELATED: How to prepare now for that first tuition bill Photo attribute: "Tech Tower-6" by Mistercontributer - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 8. Hamilton College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $57,300 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,245 RELATED: Will the Student Aid Bill of Rights help your family? Photo attribute: "ElihuRootHouse1" by lvklock - Own work. Licensed under GFDL via Commons 9. Harvard University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $87,200 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $3,386 RELATED: 6 steps to landing in the Ivy Leagues Photo attribute: "Widener Library" by Caroline Culler (User:Wgreaves) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Commons 10. Haverford College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $55,600 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $5,648 RELATED: 5 changes to the SAT and how parents are reacting Photo attribute: "Haverfordfounders" by Jackbauerinvc. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 11. Massachusetts Institute of Technology ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $91,600 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,733 RELATED: 4 things to watch out for when applying to a top school Photo attribute: "MIT Building 10 and the Great Dome, Cambridge MA" by John Phelan - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons 12. Massachusetts Maritime Academy ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $79,500 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,519 RELATED: Being smart about recommendation letters before senior year of high school 13. Princeton University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $75,100 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $5,720 RELATED: How younger students can build a competitive profile for the Ivy League Photo attribute: By Photo: Andreas Praefcke (Own work (own photograph)) 14. Rice University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $59,900 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,960 RELATED: 100 weird scholarship ideas Photo attribute: "McNairHall 1". Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons 15. Stanford University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $80,900 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $3,895 RELATED: How you can help your child ace the SAT or ACT Photo attribute: "James H. Clark Center at night HDR-2" by Justin Lebar - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 16. Trinity College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $56,100 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,874 RELATED: I won't qualify for financial aid but I still need help paying for college Photo attribute: "Trincolllibrarysnow2003". Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikipedia 17. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $57,900 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,156 RELATED: Yes, your 529 plan will affect financial aid Photo attribute: "UniversityofMichiganLawLibrary" by AndrewHorne - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 18. University of Pennsylvania ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $78,200 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $6,614 RELATED: Want to land a great job? Here's where you should go to school Photo attribute: "Penn campus 2" by Bryan Y.W. Shin at the English language Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 19. University of Virginia ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $58,600 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,007 RELATED: 7 things you may not know about student loan repayment Photo attribute: Alderman Library" by Vtn5n - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons 20. Vanderbilt University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $60,900 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,147 RELATED: 8 tips on how to make student loans work for you Photo attribute: "CorneliusVanderbiltStatue" by Dansan4444 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons 21. Washington and Lee University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $77,600 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,663 RELATED: Is online college a cheaper option for your high school grad? Photo attribute: "2008-0831-WashingtonandLeeUniversity" by Bobak Ha'Eri - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons 22. Williams College ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $58,100 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $8,202 RELATED: 10 things you need to know about getting scholarships Photo attribute: "Hopkins Observatory Williams College" by Beyond My Ken - Own work. Licensed under GFDL via Commons 23. Yale University ï ¿ ½ a.Median earnings of students 10 years after entering the school: $66,000 ï ¿ ½ b.Average annual net price for low-income students: $7,637 RELATED: 9 tips on getting into an Ivy League school Photo attribute: "Yale School of Management Evans Hall front" by Nick Allen - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons