10 Biggest Public University Bargains for 2019

South Texas College has several campuses, with its main campus in McAllen in the southern tip of Texas. The college has more than 34,000 students in total and offers bachelor’s degrees in applied technology, technology management, and information technologies, as well as more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs.

Despite the size of its student body, South Texas College offers a reasonable student-to-faculty ratio of 26 to 1 and typical class sizes of 15 to 18 students, along with night and weekend classes for flexibility. The college tops our list of public university bargains with a total cost of attendance of only $4,092 per year for tuition, room and board, books, and other fees after taking the average financial aid package into consideration.

The California State University system is enormous, with 23 campuses across the state and over 400,000 students in total. The 175-acre Los Angeles campus has over 16,000 undergraduate students and 4,000 graduate students. Commensurate with the size of its campus and student body, Cal State Los Angeles offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in hundreds of programs.

This campus makes our list of bargain public universities despite its annual cost of $24,839 per year for tuition, room and board, books and other costs after taking financial aid into consideration. Why? Because of the California Student Aid Commission’s Middle Class Scholarship Fund. Students who qualify for this scholarship may see up to 40% of their tuition covered, meaning that more traditional scholarships and student loans go much further. With this value pricing, its location in sunny California, and the incredible number of degree programs offered, Cal State Los Angeles is a compelling choice among among public universities.

Elizabeth City State University is part of the University of North Carolina system, which includes 16 campuses in total serving over 180,000 students. Elizabeth City State University has around 3,000 students and is a historically black college, though enrollment is open to any applicant regardless of ethnicity.

Elizabeth City State University’s 200-acre campus is a stone’s throw away from where the Pasquotank River widens into Albemarle Sound. The university offers 37 bachelor’s degrees and boasts a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1. When it comes to the cost of attendance, students pay an average of $7,948.02 for tuition, room and board, and other fees before financial aid is applied. According to U.S. News & World Report, the average financial aid package offered is $8,108 annually.

Perhaps more importantly, though, Elizabeth City College offers the Debt-Free Degree Program, which covers 100% of tuition and fees for in-state students living in the local area. More info on this option is available here.

Palm State Beach College has a total of five campuses, with its main and largest campus at 114 acres in size in Lake Worth, just south of Palm Springs in the Sunshine State. There are 28,000 students at the Lake Worth campus, with enough faculty to yield a 23 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio.

The college offers bachelor’s degree programs in supervision and management and information management, and will soon offer a bachelor’s degree program in nursing. Cost-wise, students pay an average of $2,388 per year after financial aid is taken into consideration to cover tuition and fees.

Lehman College is part of the City University of New York system and is located in the Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City. Out of the more than 400,000 students in the City University of New York system, Lehman College has 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students and an impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 14 to 1. Students have their pick of degree programs in more than 100 areas at Lehman College.

The cost of living in the New York City area can be outrageous to say the least, but Lehman College makes our bargain list with a total cost of attendance of $3,670 for tuition and fees.