# Most Affordable Online Public Universities

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-06-07 | Schools: 50 | Category: Online
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/most-affordable-online-public

## Methodology

Public university online programs ranked by lowest net price

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [College of the Sequoias](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-the-sequoias) | Visalia, CA | 36% | $39,092 | $480 | $4,500 | 0.12x |
| 2 | [CUNY Hunter College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-hunter-college) | New York, NY | 59% | $63,163 | $2,984 | $11,000 | 0.17x |
| 3 | [CUNY Bernard M Baruch College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-bernard-m-baruch-college) | New York, NY | 72% | $75,971 | $3,033 | $11,512 | 0.15x |
| 4 | [CUNY Brooklyn College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-brooklyn-college) | Brooklyn, NY | 55% | $60,752 | $3,103 | $11,000 | 0.18x |
| 5 | [CUNY Lehman College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-lehman-college) | Bronx, NY | 50% | $58,013 | $3,148 | $10,950 | 0.19x |
| 6 | [CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-john-jay-college-of-criminal-justice) | New York, NY | 56% | $56,195 | $3,203 | $11,000 | 0.2x |
| 7 | [Macomb Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/macomb-community-college) | Warren, MI | 17% | $41,596 | $1,618 | $6,000 | 0.14x |
| 8 | [West Shore Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/west-shore-community-college) | Scottville, MI | 29% | $36,115 | $1,527 | $9,089 | 0.25x |
| 9 | [Durham Technical Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/durham-technical-community-college) | Durham, NC | 40% | $36,142 | $1,664 | $14,750 | 0.41x |
| 10 | [Trident Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/trident-technical-college) | Charleston, SC | 29% | $38,253 | $1,406 | $13,029 | 0.34x |
| 11 | [College of San Mateo](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-san-mateo) | San Mateo, CA | 59% | $54,172 | $536 | $14,695 | 0.27x |
| 12 | [New Mexico State University-Grants](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/new-mexico-state-university-grants) | Grants, NM | 25% | $39,067 | $68 | $17,095 | 0.44x |
| 13 | [CUNY Queens College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-queens-college) | Queens, NY | 56% | $62,763 | $4,195 | $10,298 | 0.16x |
| 14 | [Irvine Valley College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/irvine-valley-college) | Irvine, CA | 57% | $49,156 | $2,090 | $6,500 | 0.13x |
| 15 | [San Joaquin Delta College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/san-joaquin-delta-college) | Stockton, CA | 33% | $43,212 | $2,407 | $7,500 | 0.17x |
| 16 | [CUNY York College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-york-college) | Jamaica, NY | 31% | $56,945 | $4,456 | $11,000 | 0.19x |
| 17 | [Middlesex Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/middlesex-community-college) | Bedford, MA | 23% | $50,651 | $2,624 | $7,291 | 0.14x |
| 18 | [Texas A & M International University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/texas-a-m-international-university) | Laredo, TX | 48% | $48,386 | $3,637 | $15,000 | 0.31x |
| 19 | [CUNY City College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-city-college) | New York, NY | 56% | $66,039 | $3,776 | $11,990 | 0.18x |
| 20 | [Indiana University-Kokomo](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-kokomo) | Kokomo, IN | 45% | $49,917 | $3,968 | $16,961 | 0.34x |
| 21 | [Kalamazoo Valley Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/kalamazoo-valley-community-college) | Kalamazoo, MI | 25% | $38,618 | $2,979 | $9,699 | 0.25x |
| 22 | [Carroll Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/carroll-community-college) | Westminster, MD | 43% | $44,349 | $2,725 | $11,750 | 0.26x |
| 23 | [Victoria College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/victoria-college) | Victoria, TX | 27% | $42,382 | $3,043 | $10,500 | 0.25x |
| 24 | [Wilson Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wilson-community-college) | Wilson, NC | 33% | $32,973 | $3,064 | $10,500 | 0.32x |
| 25 | [Florence-Darlington Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/florence-darlington-technical-college) | Florence, SC | 27% | $32,748 | $2,004 | $12,250 | 0.37x |
| 26 | [St Petersburg College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/st-petersburg-college) | St. Petersburg, FL | 38% | $42,557 | $1,471 | $16,868 | 0.4x |
| 27 | [Alpena Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/alpena-community-college) | Alpena, MI | 51% | $36,442 | $3,320 | $9,024 | 0.25x |
| 28 | [El Paso Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/el-paso-community-college) | El Paso, TX | 23% | $35,212 | $3,206 | $6,566 | 0.19x |
| 29 | [University of Florida](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-florida) | Gainesville, FL | 91% | $71,588 | $6,541 | $15,000 | 0.21x |
| 30 | [Independence Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/independence-community-college) | Independence, KS | 30% | $34,941 | $3,265 | $6,115 | 0.18x |
| 31 | [Carl Sandburg College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/carl-sandburg-college) | Galesburg, IL | 45% | $35,274 | $3,662 | $4,909 | 0.14x |
| 32 | [College of the Canyons](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-the-canyons) | Santa Clarita, CA | 44% | $49,022 | $3,702 | $9,612 | 0.2x |
| 33 | [College of the Mainland](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-the-mainland) | Texas City, TX | 30% | $39,639 | $1,342 | $5,960 | 0.15x |
| 34 | [CUNY Medgar Evers College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-medgar-evers-college) | Brooklyn, NY | 21% | $46,498 | $5,718 | $10,988 | 0.24x |
| 35 | [The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley) | Edinburg, TX | 50% | $49,620 | $4,831 | $12,950 | 0.26x |
| 36 | [Pasadena City College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/pasadena-city-college) | Pasadena, CA | 44% | $43,937 | $3,864 | $6,651 | 0.15x |
| 37 | [Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/eastern-new-mexico-university-main-campus) | Portales, NM | 42% | $38,550 | $4,904 | $16,500 | 0.43x |
| 38 | [California State University-Los Angeles](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/california-state-university-los-angeles) | Los Angeles, CA | 53% | $59,211 | $3,967 | $13,000 | 0.22x |
| 39 | [Piedmont Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/piedmont-community-college) | Roxboro, NC | 39% | $33,274 | $1,095 | N/A | N/A |
| 40 | [Middlesex College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/middlesex-college) | Edison, NJ | 34% | $46,861 | $2,288 | $9,750 | 0.21x |
| 41 | [Lamar State College-Port Arthur](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lamar-state-college-port-arthur) | Port Arthur, TX | 38% | $37,120 | $2,846 | $13,250 | 0.36x |
| 42 | [Copiah-Lincoln Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/copiah-lincoln-community-college) | Wesson, MS | 51% | $31,241 | $3,894 | $7,435 | 0.24x |
| 43 | [Shasta College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/shasta-college) | Redding, CA | 26% | $39,269 | $2,878 | $14,250 | 0.36x |
| 44 | [Saddleback College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/saddleback-college) | Mission Viejo, CA | 46% | $50,874 | $4,152 | $9,500 | 0.19x |
| 45 | [CUNY New York City College of Technology](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cuny-new-york-city-college-of-technology) | Brooklyn, NY | 20% | $49,365 | $5,127 | $10,533 | 0.21x |
| 46 | [Indiana University-Northwest](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/indiana-university-northwest) | Gary, IN | 37% | $43,361 | $5,130 | $21,710 | 0.5x |
| 47 | [Elizabeth City State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/elizabeth-city-state-university) | Elizabeth City, NC | 46% | $40,026 | $6,364 | $21,463 | 0.54x |
| 48 | [Muskegon Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/muskegon-community-college) | Muskegon, MI | 30% | $36,549 | $4,005 | $9,125 | 0.25x |
| 49 | [Hinds Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/hinds-community-college) | Raymond, MS | 43% | $30,774 | $4,060 | $9,371 | 0.3x |
| 50 | [Western Texas College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/western-texas-college) | Snyder, TX | 56% | $42,508 | $3,562 | $7,515 | 0.18x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Most Affordable Online Public Universities." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-06-07. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/most-affordable-online-public

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.