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SALT LAKE CITY — It's no secret that the cost of a college education has been on the rise for decades. Making matters worse is the always-increasing national student debt, which is set to reach an all-time high this year. Factor in a recent decline in median household income, and paying for a quality college experience starts to feel like an impossible task.
Despite the dire circumstances, there are still viable, affordable options in today's college landscape. Using data from the [National Center for Education Statistics](https://nces.ed.gov/), [StartClass](http://www.startclass.com/) found the 25 least expensive quality universities. Only colleges with an out-of-state tuition of $25,000 or less were included. Schools are ranked according to their [Smart Rating](http://colleges.startclass.com/) score, which is based on financial affordability, career readiness, admissions selectivity, expert opinion and academic excellence. The maximum score a college can have is 100.Nine colleges in New York made the cut, including Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo, though none of the nine landed in the top spot. All schools on the list had a Smart Rating of 92 or higher.
Note: Both Berea College and the College of the Ozarks were excluded from the list, since neither school charges tuition. We also excluded the United States Coast Guard from consideration, since the school often reports no dollar amount for its annual tuition. In the event of ties, the school with the lowest out-of-state tuition was ranked higher.