10 Biggest Private School Bargains for 2019

You might think that going to a private college will cost you an arm and a leg, and in many cases you'd be right, but there are private colleges and public colleges out there that will not cost you much in the way of cash (or appendages) with affordable tuition.

Here is our list of 10 private colleges in the United States with some of the lowest costs of attendance in 2019, but not quite equipped with free tuition, based on the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education.

What Are The Most Affordable Private Schools?

1

Colorado Technical University Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Like a few other colleges on this list, Colorado Technical University has several campuses in different locations. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota campus makes an appearance on this private college bargain list with a total average cost of attendance of only $12,500 per year (including tuition, room and board, and other fees) once the average financial aid package is factored into the equation.

Colorado Technical University offers degree programs in business, criminal justice, engineering, computer science, health sciences, and information systems. Its 1,000 students enjoy a student-to-faculty-ratio of 18:1.

2

Keiser University Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Like Everest University, Keiser University has several campuses, all located throughout the state of Florida. The Fort Lauderdale campus, which is the university's main campus with over 16,000 students, makes our list with an average total costs cheaper per year for tuition, room, board and all other fees once the average amount financial aid is taken into account.

Keiser University offers degree programs in business, criminal justice, nursing and other fields at the Fort Lauderdale campus through a class schedule where each student only takes one class a time over four weeks. Additionally, students enjoy a student-to-faculty of 20:1.

3

Everest University Jacksonville, Florida

Everest University has campuses in over 20 states as well as Canada, offering a wide variety of on-site and online degree programs. The Jacksonville, Florida campus makes our list with its total cost of attendance pegged at just over $9,800 per year on average after taking all financial aid into consideration.

The Jacksonville campus offers bachelor's degree programs in accounting, business, criminal justice and medical and insurance billing and coding. Its nearly 1,300 students have access to a plethora of entertainment, parks, beaches and other attractions in Florida's largest city.

4

National American University Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota

National American University has several campuses around the country in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and other states plus online programs. The branch in South Dakota at Ellsworth Air Force Base in particular makes our list of bargain colleges, with an average cost of only $2,785 per year for each student, once financial aid is taken into consideration.

The Ellsworth campus has over 300 students pursuing undergraduate degrees in accounting, information technology, nursing and other fields. Many students are on active duty in the military while others are military family members and local residents. National American University offers classes year-round so that students can complete their degree programs at a faster pace, if desired, than at traditional colleges. The university also allows students to take courses in their selected major within their first year at the university so that you can be sure you've chosen a field you're interested sooner than at most colleges where you don't get into core courses for a major until your junior year.

5

Jamestown Business College Jameston, New York

Jamestown Business College offers a bachelor's degree program in --you guessed it-- business. Located in western New York, the college offers classes on weekends and evenings, allowing students to complete their degree programs more quickly than possible at most colleges with traditional class schedules.

Jamestown Business College doesn't forget about its graduates either, offering them lifetime career placement services through its Career Development department. The college's student-to-faculty ratio is 32 to 1 and it has about 330 undergraduate students.

Students at Jamestown Business College will spend an average of about $11,200 per year for tuition, room and board, books and other expenses after taking financial aid into account.

6

Family of Faith College Shawnee, Oklahoma

Boasting an incredible 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Family of Faith College is a Christian non-denominational school located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, about 30 miles east of Oklahoma's capital, Oklahoma City. The college offers degree programs in church ministry and education to its 55 undergraduate students. Students in the education program complete their teaching internships at an on-site private school offering grades kindergarten through 12.

Students at Family of Faith College pay an average of only $4,300 per year for tuition, room and board, books and other fees after applying financial aid.

7

Allegheny Wesleyan College Salem, Ohio

Allegheny Wesleyan College is a Christian school located a few miles south of the small town of Salem in eastern Ohio. As a Christian school, the college's motto is "Where God is First" and it offers degree programs in pastoral ministries, cross-cultural missions, elementary education, and music education.

With a student body of 60 and a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, Allegheny Wesleyan College offers a cozy, wholesome atmosphere for its students on its 7-building, 40-acre campus.

After the average financial aid package is factored in, Allegheny Wesleyan College students only pay an average of $3,700 per year to cover tuition, room and board, books and other fees.

8

University of Holy Cross New Orleans, Louisiana

Located in the largest city of Louisiana and home of one of the largest annual Mardi Gras celebrations in the world, Our Lady of Holy Cross College offers its more than 1,200 students undergraduate degree programs in biology, business administration, nursing and other areas. The college was founded in 1916 by the Marianites of Holy Cross, a Roman Catholic congregation, and offers a faith-based atmosphere and a personalized approach to education with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1.

After tuition, room and board, fees and other expenses minus all financial aid, University of Holy Cross students can expect to pay an average of under $3,000 per year.

9

Southeastern Baptist College Laurel, Mississippi

Southeastern Baptist College was founded in 1948 and is located in scenic Laurel, Mississippi, just a couple-hours drive away from the Gulf Coast. The college offers a bachelor's of science program in Church Ministries as well as 2-year degree programs in other areas, including Bible studies, general education, and business.

With a total enrollment of about 80, students at Southeastern Baptist College will enjoy an environment free of the distractions present at many larger colleges in urban environments. Additionally, the college's focus is to provide a quality education in a family-like, Christian environment.

Students at Southeastern Baptist College pay an average of a little more than $2,600 per year to cover tuition, books, room and board, and other fees after considering all financial aid provided.

10

Turtle Mountain Community College Belcourt, North Dakota

Located in the small rural town of Belcourt, North Dakota, Turtle Mountain Community College offers bachelor's degrees in elementary education and secondary science for students planning to have teaching careers (as well as several associates degrees in other areas). Originally founded to meet the higher education needs of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Community College is now open to students of all ethnicities.

Turtle Mountain's more than 650 full-time students enjoy a 123-acre campus overlooking Belcourt Lake and a 19 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio. After all grants and scholarships are factored in, Turtle Mountain students can expect to pay an average of just over $2,000 per year to cover tuition, room and board, books and all other fees, making it the least expensive private college around.


To determine the best private school bargains, we looked at the most important factors prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school's commitment to online programs. This boils down to admissions rate, student loan default rate, retention rate, graduation rate, and the percent of students enrolled in online classes. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Each factor is weighted evenly in order to give an objective view and determine the top 10 private school bargains. To calculate our rankings, we looked at a school's ranking when organized by a single factor, and then averaged each category's ranking to find an overall score: Admissions Rate (20%) + Default Rate (20%) + Retention Rate (20%) + Graduation Rate (20%) + Percent of Students Enrolled in Online Classes (20%) = Final score.