Ranking

Cheapest Colleges in the US 2026

The 25 lowest-net-price US colleges that report federal earnings — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $32
Top earnings 10y: $55,702
Public / Private: 21 / 3

Canada College

Redwood City, CA · Public

Net price/yr: $32
Net price: $32
Earnings 10y: $50,087
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Fort Peck Community College

Poplar, MT · Public

Net price/yr: $400
Net price: $400
Earnings 10y: $14,747
Acceptance: Open / not reported

College of San Mateo

San Mateo, CA · Public

Net price/yr: $536
Net price: $536
Earnings 10y: $54,172
Acceptance: Open / not reported

College of Biblical Studies-Houston

Houston, TX · Private Non-Profit

Net price/yr: $672
Net price: $672
Earnings 10y: $39,260
Acceptance: Open / not reported

North Florida College

Madison, FL · Public

Net price/yr: $804
Net price: $804
Earnings 10y: $33,929
Acceptance: Open / not reported

San Diego Christian College

Santee, CA · Private Non-Profit

Net price/yr: $992
Net price: $992
Earnings 10y: $49,766
Acceptance: 30.8%

Imperial Valley College

Imperial, CA · Public

Net price/yr: $1,115
Net price: $1,115
Earnings 10y: $34,487
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico-Recinto de San Juan

San Juan, PR · Public

Net price/yr: $1,121
Net price: $1,121
Earnings 10y: $26,293
Acceptance: 63.2%

College of the Mainland

Texas City, TX · Public

Net price/yr: $1,342
Net price: $1,342
Earnings 10y: $39,639
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Trident Technical College

Charleston, SC · Public

Net price/yr: $1,406
Net price: $1,406
Earnings 10y: $38,253
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Colegio de Cinematografia Artes y Television

Bayamon, PR · Private For-Profit

Net price/yr: $1,460
Net price: $1,460
Earnings 10y: $25,707
Acceptance: Open / not reported

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL · Public

Net price/yr: $1,471
Net price: $1,471
Earnings 10y: $42,557
Acceptance: Open / not reported

West Shore Community College

Scottville, MI · Public

Net price/yr: $1,527
Net price: $1,527
Earnings 10y: $36,115
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Macomb Community College

Warren, MI · Public

Net price/yr: $1,618
Net price: $1,618
Earnings 10y: $41,596
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Durham Technical Community College

Durham, NC · Public

Net price/yr: $1,664
Net price: $1,664
Earnings 10y: $36,142
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Skyline College

San Bruno, CA · Public

Net price/yr: $1,738
Net price: $1,738
Earnings 10y: $55,702
Acceptance: Open / not reported

South Texas College

McAllen, TX · Public

Net price/yr: $1,751
Net price: $1,751
Earnings 10y: $36,788
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Johnston Community College

Smithfield, NC · Public

Net price/yr: $1,776
Net price: $1,776
Earnings 10y: $37,310
Acceptance: Open / not reported

West Virginia University at Parkersburg

Parkersburg, WV · Public

Net price/yr: $1,807
Net price: $1,807
Earnings 10y: $35,171
Acceptance: Open / not reported

White Earth Tribal and Community College

Mahnomen, MN · Private Non-Profit

Net price/yr: $1,811
Net price: $1,811
Earnings 10y: $18,044
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Oglala Lakota College

Kyle, SD · Public

Net price/yr: $1,895
Net price: $1,895
Earnings 10y: $22,517
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Victor Valley College

Victorville, CA · Public

Net price/yr: $1,947
Net price: $1,947
Earnings 10y: $36,119
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Hartnell College

Salinas, CA · Public

Net price/yr: $2,039
Net price: $2,039
Earnings 10y: $44,316
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Rockingham Community College

Wentworth, NC · Public

Net price/yr: $2,060
Net price: $2,060
Earnings 10y: $32,480
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Irvine Valley College

Irvine, CA · Public

Net price/yr: $2,090
Net price: $2,090
Earnings 10y: $49,156
Acceptance: Open / not reported

How we picked this list

This list starts with US colleges, removes schools without usable net-price data, then sorts from lowest average net price upward. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 227.76 (21 public, 3 private).

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.

Related lists

All EduGradify rankings → Browse all colleges with filters → Highest ROI colleges nationwide → Cheapest US colleges →

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Canada College in Redwood City, CA tops this ranking. Average net price is $32 per year.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by net price/yr using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.