Yale often plays Miss Congeniality to Harvard and Princeton in the overall rankings of US News & World Report. (It rated No. 3 this year among national universities.) But in terms of value, it grabbed top billing – and no wonder. Although the New Haven, Conn., university extends need-based grants to just 54 percent of its undergraduates, it has the most generous need-based grants, covering an average 73 percent of total costs. That's the highest percentage of any of the 50 top universities that US News rated this year. Tuition and fees run $38,300 annually.
Bob Child/AP/File
