Most affordable liberal arts schools 
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Most Affordable Schools
Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
Admission rate: 33%
Grad rate: 64%
Net cost: $5,184
Payback: 1.7 Years
Earnings: $37,154
Vs. state average: - $5,986
Economic score: 1.94
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New College of Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Admission rate: 70%
Grad rate: 60%
Net cost: $8,516
Payback: 2.0 Years
Earnings: $43,994
Vs. state average: - $727
Economic score: 2.08
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The University of Virginia's College at Wise
Wise, Virginia
Admission rate: 83%
Grad rate: 53%
Net cost: $10,061
Payback: 2.9 Years
Earnings: $41,055
Vs. state average: - $1,929
Economic score: 3.06
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Charter Oak State College
New Britain, Connecticut
Admission rate: N/A
Grad rate: 58%
Net cost: $10,724
Payback: 1.9 Years
Earnings: $54,604
Vs. state average: - $14,956
Economic score: 2.44
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Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Admission rate: 98%
Grad rate: 50%
Net cost: $11,021
Payback: 2.1 Years
Earnings: $45,723
Vs. state average: - $1,351
Economic score: 2.19
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Wesleyan College
Macon, Georgia
Admission rate: 60%
Grad rate: 58%
Net cost: $11,358
Payback: 3.8 Years
Earnings: $38,065
Vs. state average: - $3,828
Economic score: 4.17
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University of Minnesota-Morris
Morris, Minnesota
Admission rate: 65%
Grad rate: 65%
Net cost: $11,412
Payback: 2.4 Years
Earnings: $47,373
Vs. state average: - $7,903
Economic score: 2.82
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Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin
Admission rate: 59%
Grad rate: 80%
Net cost: $11,433
Payback: 2.0 Years
Earnings: $50,499
Vs. state average: - $1,576
Economic score: 2.05
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University of North Carolina at Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Admission rate: 80%
Grad rate: 62%
Net cost: $12,061
Payback: 2.6 Years
Earnings: $42,027
Vs. state average: - $44
Economic score: 2.63
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University of New Hampshire at Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Admission rate: 86%
Grad rate: 62%
Net cost: $13,649
Payback: 2.0 Years
Earnings: $61,997
Vs. state average: + $2,460
Economic score: 1.87
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Soka University of America
Aliso Viejo, California
Admission rate: 52%
Grad rate: 91%
Net cost: $13,914
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $48,193
Vs. state average: - $2,486
Economic score: 3.19
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Lyon College
Batesville, Arkansas
Admission rate: 51%
Grad rate: 51%
Net cost: $15,447
Payback: 3.8 Years
Earnings: $43,343
Vs. state average: + $660
Economic score: 3.72
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Ave Maria University
Ave Maria, Florida
Admission rate: 92%
Grad rate: 57%
Net cost: $15,527
Payback: 3.4 Years
Earnings: $45,789
Vs. state average: + $1,068
Economic score: 3.36
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Blackburn College
Carlinville, Illinois
Admission rate: 56%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $15,993
Payback: 5.9 Years
Earnings: $38,571
Vs. state average: - $6,266
Economic score: 6.90
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Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
Admission rate: 92%
Grad rate: 47%
Net cost: $16,274
Payback: 6.5 Years
Earnings: $38,083
Vs. state average: - $7,838
Economic score: 7.83
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Bethany Lutheran College
Mankato, Minnesota
Admission rate: 65%
Grad rate: 53%
Net cost: $16,368
Payback: 5.1 Years
Earnings: $40,621
Vs. state average: - $14,655
Economic score: 6.99
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Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois
Admission rate: 76%
Grad rate: 69%
Net cost: $16,562
Payback: 3.9 Years
Earnings: $46,510
Vs. state average: + $1,673
Economic score: 3.75
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Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Admission rate: 73%
Grad rate: 78%
Net cost: $16,634
Payback: 2.3 Years
Earnings: $55,543
Vs. state average: + $1,965
Economic score: 2.20
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Albion College
Albion, Michigan
Admission rate: 75%
Grad rate: 65%
Net cost: $16,653
Payback: 2.2 Years
Earnings: $54,792
Vs. state average: + $10,746
Economic score: 1.73
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Judson College
Marion, Alabama
Admission rate: 57%
Grad rate: 45%
Net cost: $16,827
Payback: 11.3 Years
Earnings: $29,569
Vs. state average: - $13,794
Economic score: 16.63
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