If you’re like many of your fellow Millennials out there you’re still managing your college debt. Those best four years of your life are a distant memory, but the monthly bill is a friendly reminder of how much fun it was. The phrase “you get what you pay for” is true for most things, but can it be applied to higher education? Outside of the Ivy League and a few other colleges around the country does the price of admission really make a huge difference?
If you’re a firm believer that the extra money spent on an elite education from a top-notch university is worth every penny than this article isn’t for you. If you’re not, then you’d probably be interested in the 15 Least Expensive Colleges in the United States. Granted, you probably won’t recognize any of the names, but it’s a college degree. And when we say it’s a college degree, it’s a college degree that won’t haunt you financially years after you get your diploma…
Check out the 15 Least Expensive Colleges in the United States (and for the record these are out of state numbers so there is no confusion)…
15.) Brigham Young University (Idaho) – Tuition – $3,650
Just when you thought you were going to recognize some of the names on this list. This isn’t the BYU Cougars you see every Saturday playing football, but it’s still a four-year university. Transitioned from a Junior College in 2001, BYU-Idaho offers degrees in liberal arts, engineering, agriculture, management and performing arts. The university is still tied to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a large portion of the student body take time off to serve as missionaries.
Image via BYU Idaho
14.) Oklahoma Panhandle State University – Tuition – $3,645
Oklahoma Panhandle State University is a baccalaureate degree granting university in Goodwell, Oklahoma. The school has about 1,800 students and offers programs in Agriculture, Business & Technology, Education, Liberal Arts, Science, Mathematics and Nursing. It may not be a large school but the degrees they offer are just as good as any accredited school in the country. And it’s extremely affordable.
Image via OPSU
13.) Navajo Technical University (New Mexico) – Tuition – $3,600
Navajo Technical University is a tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical school in Crownpoint, New Mexico. The school was chartered by the Navajo Nation in 1979. The school offers 12 different programs from accounting to vocational careers. Like its predecessor, NTU has about 1800 students. Specialty schools are becoming more and more popular these days but their tuition is also going up. NTU is a fine option to get the same degree for less money.
Image via NTC
12.) Sitting Bull College (North Dakota) – Tuition – $3,600
Sitting Bull College is a tribal college in Fort Yates, North Dakota. It was founded in 1973 by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. SBC has several campuses throughout the 2.8 million acres of Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The school serves as the primary secondary education for the tribe. The college offers 2 and 4 year programs with over 10 disciplines of studies.
Image via Sitting Bull College
11.) Huntsville Bible College (Alabama) – Tuition – $3,600
Huntsville Bible College is a non-denominational Christian seminary in Huntsville, Alabama. The college offers both associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees in Christian Education, Mission and Evangelism, Pastoral Ministry and a bachelor’s in Theology. Believe it or not, the school only has 72 students, which makes for a great teacher to student ratio with 13 faculty members! Now that’s personal attention for a fraction of the price.
Image via Huntsville Bible College
10.) Taft University System (California) – Tuition – $3,508
Taft College is a member of the California Community College System. It is one of only a few community colleges in California that has on-campus housing. Taft offers associates in Arts and Science as well as a variety of certificates. Graduates of Taft usually matriculate into the California State or University of California system. The school has abotu 6,000 students and over 100 faculty members.
Image via Taft
9.) Carolina Christian College (North Carolina) – Tuition – $3,500
Carolina Christian College is a special purpose undergraduate institution that prepares individuals for Christian Ministries. The focus of each student’s studies are Biblical and theological. It’s a unique program emphasizes cultural awareness and urban ministry. Graduates go on to serve the church across the United States. The school has an extensive history being founded in 1945. We don’t have specific placement numbers but the school is highly specialized so the chances of employment increase.
Image via CCC
8.) Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture (New Mexico) – Tuition – $3,360
The Institute of American Indian Arts is a college strictly dedicated to Native American arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Most of the students who graduate from one of the programs become self-supporting artists. The school was founded in 1962 and carries around 350 students a year. This is another school that’s small in stature but highly specialized so a career is more likely should the graduate pursue a degree in this field.
Image via AIAI
7.) Grace College of Divinity (North Carolina) – Tuition – $3,360
Keeping up with the theme of religion and service-driven colleges and universities, Grace College of Divinity is no different. The school prepares students for a life of service and leadership through biblical training, practical ministry and personal development. Grace College offers various degrees and certificates in various discplines (all religious themed).
Image via GC of D
6.) Southern University of New Orleans (Louisiana) – Tuition – $3,161
SUNO is historically an African-American University in New Orleans, Louisiana. SUNO differentiates itself on this list because it offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. The school houses four different colleges that offer over 12 different programs of studies. Established in 1956, the school enrolls close to 2,600 undergraduates and 500 graduate students.
Image via SU of New Orleans
5.) Sinte Gleska University (South Dakota) – Tuition – $2,640
Sinte Gleska is a four-year private American-Indian tribal college located in Mission South Dakota. Founded in 1971, the school enrolls approximately 1,000 students over 80% of which are full-time. Sinte Gleska offers seven academic programs including Art Institute, Arts and Science, Business, Education, Human Services, and more.
Image via SGU
4.) Oglala Lakota College (South Dakota) – Tuition – $1,920
As the list comes towards an end you can see that tuition payments drop to what you paid for a credit at your Ivy League School! Oglala Lakota College is a tribal college that enrolls close to 1,500 full-time and part-time students. The college primarily serves the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The school was founded in 1971 and offers baccalaureate and master’s degrees. OLC has a strong nursing programs that has seen several nurses registered by the South Dakota State Board of Nursing.
Image via OLC
3.) Broward College (Florida) – Tuition – $1,810
Broward College is in the Miami-area and is part of the Florida College System. The purpose of Broward (when it was established in 1959) was to strengthen Florida’s two-year community college program system. It’s programs were strong enough to offer four-year bachelor’s degree. In 2012, Broward was named one of the Top 10 Community Colleges in the Nation by the Aspen Institute. Broward is easily the largest school on this list enrolling close to 70,000 students. Broward has three campuses and a variety of program offerings.
Image via Broward College
2.) Turtle Mountain Community College (North Dakota) – Tuition – $1,776
Picking up a theme of tribal colleges on this list? Another one is Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, North Dakota. Located on Turtle Mountain which sits just about 10 miles from the Canadian Border, TMCC has about 700 students seeking certificates or degrees. Established in 1971, TMCC offers 6-year associate degrees and four-year baccalaureate degrees. The primary focus of study is elementary and secondary science.
Image via TMCC
1.) Dine College (Arizona) – Tuition – $720
The least expensive and final tribal college on the list is Dine College in serving Navajo Nation in Arizona. Dine is a large community college housing over 2,000 students serving 27,000 square miles of Navajo Nation. Interestingly enough, over 2oo of the students at Dine are transfers from four-year universities seeking degrees. Dine, unlike most of the schools on this list offer scholarships via the American Indian College Fund. Dine offers over 30 programs in which students can earn their Associate’s degree.
Image via Dine College
