The universities on our top-100 list include both the most prestigious research institutions in the world and lesser-known, regional institutions.
But all offer the range of majors and degrees that typify the university model, and all deliver the quality and affordability that represent our definition of value.
Of the top ten schools in our rankings, seven offer enough financial aid to bring the annual total cost to less than $20,000.
The top 10 schools you\'ll see featured in this slide show are the best of the best.
1. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, N.J.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,220
Total Annual Cost: $50,269
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $34,719
Average Debt at Graduation: $5,225
This Ivy League institution posts one of the best four-year graduation rates among the schools on our universities list, and its no-loan financial-aid policy, the first in the country, allows students to leave Princeton with little or no debt. Princeton\'s total cost makes it the least expensive member of the Ivy League.
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2. Yale University
Location: New Haven, Conn.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,294
Total Annual Cost: $53,700
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $38,914
Average Debt at Graduation: $9,254
With an endowment of $19.4 billion, Yale can afford to be generous with its financial aid: Students who qualify receive an average financial-aid package of almost $40,000 a year. Applicants to Yale confront fierce competition; only 8% are admitted. Virtually all of Yale’s freshmen return for sophomore year.
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3. California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, Cal.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 967
Total Annual Cost: $50,703
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $31,030
Average Debt at Graduation: $10,760
The smallest of our top 50 universities, Caltech also has the lowest student-faculty ratio, a remarkable three to one. Not surprisingly for this elite tech school, 99% of incoming freshmen score 700 or higher on the math portion of the SAT. Caltech has a long-standing policy of keeping student debt to a minimum by offering generous student aid.
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4. Rice University
Location: Houston, Tex.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,529
Total Annual Cost: $48,621
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $27,671
Average Debt at Graduation: $13,944
Strong on quality, this university also shines on cost. Rice posts the lowest sticker price of our top 25 universities and, unlike most elite institutions, gives significant merit aid in addition to need-based aid. Rice kicked off its year-long centennial celebration in October 2011 and promises plenty of hoopla at the culminating festivities in October 2012.
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5. Harvard
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,641
Total Annual Cost: $53,652
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $39,156
Average Debt at Graduation: $10,102
The most competitive school on either of our lists, Harvard accepts only 7% of applicants. Some 75% of its incoming freshmen score 700 or higher on the verbal section of the SAT, and 100% score 700 or higher on the math section. Harvard devotes $166 million a year to financial aid and gives significant need-based aid to families making up to $150,000 a year.
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6. University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, Pa.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 9,865
Total Annual Cost: $55,136
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $32,443
Average Debt at Graduation: $17,013
Founded in 1740 and a member of the Ivy League, U-Penn offers outstanding academics and the best of both worlds: a 279-acre campus complete with greenswards and gardens in the urban setting of Philadelphia. This university posts one of the highest yields (the percentage of accepted students who enroll) on our universities list. All but 1% of freshmen return for sophomore year.
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7. Duke University
Location: Durham, N.C.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,663
Total Annual Cost: $55,245
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $35,578
Average Debt at Graduation: $21,884
Home to one of the top men\'s basketball programs, Duke also boasts strong academics, an eight-to-one student-faculty ratio and generous financial aid, including merit scholarships. Its Durham, N.C., location puts it in the heart of Research Triangle, known for its high-tech companies and major research universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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8. Columbia University
Location: New York, N.Y.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,888
Total Annual Cost: $59,208
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $38,356
Average Debt at Graduation: NA
Founded in 1754 as King\'s College, this Ivy League institution changed its name to Columbia after the Revolutionary War. Its highly competitive admission rate -- 10% -- results in a freshman class of high achievers: Among incoming freshmen, 69% score 700 or higher on the verbal part of the SAT, and 73% score 700 or higher on the math portion. Originally located on lower Broadway in Manhattan, Columbia is now located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood.
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9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,299
Total Annual Cost: $53,557
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $35,504
Average Debt at Graduation: $15,228
Fresh off a six-month celebration of its 150th anniversary, MIT continues to claim its role as a world-class institution of science and technology. Not surprisingly, 93% of its incoming freshmen score 700 or higher on the math part of the SAT. MIT gives need-based aid to two-thirds of its students, and it meets 100% of their financial need.
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10. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, Cal.
Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,940
Total Annual Cost: $54,798
Average Annual Need-Based Aid: $37,930
Average Debt at Graduation: $14,058
As selective as Harvard in the percentage of applicants admitted (only 7%), this West Coast powerhouse awards need-based financial aid to more than half its students, at an average amount of almost $39,000. Stanford\'s beautiful campus, about 40 miles from San Francisco, was designed by the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
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