3 Cheapest Colleges by Graduation Rates

Graduation caps and roll of money representing 3 cheapest colleges by graduation rates

Graduation caps and roll of money representing 3 cheapest colleges by graduation rates

(Skip to the end to see the list of top three college by graduation rates.) When trying to identify the cheapest colleges (or most affordable or hidden bargains or whatever your preferred terminology happens to be) it’s probably a good idea to keep in mind the saying, “you get what you pay for.” Unfortunately, too often this means that people just assume the more expensive product is the better one. The same is often true of colleges especially since it’s so difficult to actually figure out what you’re paying for. If you’re able to step away from the shiny attraction of prestige and brand names, I have a suggestion: graduation rates.

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Cutting College Costs: 273 Community Colleges with Dorms

Girl on bed in community college with dorms

girl on bed with computer in community colleges with dorms(I’ve updated the number of community colleges with dorms with data available from IPEDS in March, 2023.) As families recoil in horror contemplating the price tag of four years of college, some start to look more closely at all of the available options, including community colleges with dorms. Since community colleges are offering more traditional college amenities such as dorms, honor programs, sports, and student activities, they are becoming a more attractive way for families to seriously cut their college expenses.

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Should You Start and Then Transfer from a Community College to Save Money?

Scales weighing time and money

2 scales weighing time and money in transferring from a community collegeShould you start your undergraduate education at a community college to save money? As usual, there is rarely a simply yes or no answer. So many factors for college success vary from institution to institution and so much depends on the individual that any answer is going to have to be qualified.

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Choosing a College After the Military

female soldierThe following is a guest post by Scott Huntington.

In order to properly use the GI Bill – or any military benefit – you can’t choose just any college. Don’t pick your college based on its proximity to the beach or even your family. Not all colleges are interested in helping military personnel achieve their career goals; they’re more interested in the guaranteed funds from your GI Bill.

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Comparison of Top 11 College Search Engines: Will Attending a Community College Save You Money?

Woman putting money in piggy bank(This is part 2 of Comparison of Top 11 College Search Engines)

In the original review of comparing college search?  websites, I used a set of college preferences for a fictional high school student. At the time, I based them on the factors that seemed most frequently mentioned in the college search process-I know, not very scientific.

I don’t intend to become any more scientific this time around. I do want to discuss how the different search criteria can affect how much you pay for college.

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