The Princeton Review this week released its ranking of the “Best Value Colleges for 2025,” featuring private and public universities.
Schools were ranked across seven categories, with a top public and private school listed for each. These categories include:
- Best value colleges overall
- Best value colleges for financial aid
- Best value colleges for career placement
- Best value colleges for internships
- Best value colleges for alumni networks
- Best value colleges for making an impact
- Best value colleges for students with no demonstrated need
According to Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review, this year’s list represents schools that “demonstrate extraordinary commitments to affordability via generous financial aid and/or comparatively low sticker prices,” he said in a statement.
Among the top 50 best value public colleges, the average grant to students with need is $15,639, compared to an average of $60,549 among the best value private colleges. Furthermore, the median starting salary of the list’s public school graduates is $74,360, compared to $86,528 among private school graduates.
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No. 1 Best Value Colleges for 2025
According to The Princeton Review’s “Best Value Colleges for 2025” ranking, the top schools in each of the seven categories are:
Best Value Colleges Overall
#1 Public: Georgia Institute of Technology
#1 Private: Princeton University (NJ)
Best Value Colleges for Financial Aid
#1 Public: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
#1 Private: Williams College (MA)
Best Value Colleges for Career Placement
#1 Public: Georgia Institute of Technology
#1 Private: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Best Value Colleges for Internships
#1 Public: University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
#1 Private: Northeastern University (MA)
Best Value Colleges for Alumni Networks
#1 Public: University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
#1 Private: St. Lawrence University (NY)
Best Value Colleges for Making an Impact
#1 Public: University of Vermont
#1 Private: Pitzer College (CA)
Best Value Colleges for Students with No Demonstrated Need
#1 Public: Georgia Institute of Technology
#1 Private: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Click here to read the full report and research methodology.