From US News And World Report....

Harvard University Cambridge, MA Rank 1 Percent receiving need-based grants: 51 % Average discount from total cost: 68 %
Princeton University Princeton, NJ Rank 2 Percent receiving need-based grants: 53 % Average discount from total cost: 66 %
Yale University New Haven, CT Rank 3 Percent receiving need-based grants: 42 % Average discount from total cost: 64 %
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Rank 4 Percent receiving need-based grants: 61 % Average discount from total cost: 59 %
Stanford University Stanford, CA Rank 5 Percent receiving need-based grants: 42 % Average discount from total cost: 63 %
California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA Rank 6 Percent receiving need-based grants: 52 % Average discount from total cost: 56 %
Dartmouth College Hanover, NH Rank 7 Percent receiving need-based grants: 50 % Average discount from total cost: 60 %
Columbia University New York, NY Rank 8 Percent receiving need-based grants: 46 % Average discount from total cost: 60 %
University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Rank 9 Percent receiving need-based grants: 35 % Average discount from total cost: 50 %
Rice University Houston, TX Rank 10 Percent receiving need-based grants: 34 % Average discount from total cost: 53 %
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Rank 11 Percent receiving need-based grants: 40 % Average discount from total cost: 55 %
Duke University Durham, NC Rank 12 Percent receiving need-based grants: 38 % Average discount from total cost: 55 %
University of Chicago Chicago, IL Rank 13 Percent receiving need-based grants: 43 % Average discount from total cost: 53 %
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Rank 14 Percent receiving need-based grants: 38 % Average discount from total cost: 57 %
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY Rank 15 Percent receiving need-based grants: 80 % Average discount from total cost: 40 %
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA Rank 16 Percent receiving need-based grants: 24 % Average discount from total cost: 52 %
Brown University Providence, RI Rank 17 Percent receiving need-based grants: 42 % Average discount from total cost: 51 %
Emory University Atlanta, GA Rank 18 Percent receiving need-based grants: 36 % Average discount from total cost: 53 %
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Rank 19 Percent receiving need-based grants: 39 % Average discount from total cost: 50 %
Northwestern University Evanston, IL Rank 20 Percent receiving need-based grants: 41 % Average discount from total cost: 48 %
University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN Rank 21 Percent receiving need-based grants: 44 % Average discount from total cost: 48 %
Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO Rank 22 Percent receiving need-based grants: 40 % Average discount from total cost: 48 %
North Carolina State University--Raleigh Raleigh, NC Rank 23 Percent receiving need-based grants: 43 % Average discount from total cost: 49 %
Cornell University Ithaca, NY Rank 24 Percent receiving need-based grants: 39 % Average discount from total cost: 44 %
Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH Rank 25 Percent receiving need-based grants: 62 % Average discount from total cost: 45 %
University of Rochester Rochester, NY Rank 26 Percent receiving need-based grants: 52 % Average discount from total cost: 49 %
Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Rank 27 Percent receiving need-based grants: 43 % Average discount from total cost: 51 %
Tufts University Medford, MA Rank 28 Percent receiving need-based grants: 35 % Average discount from total cost: 51 %
Brandeis University Waltham, MA Rank 29 Percent receiving need-based grants: 45 % Average discount from total cost: 47 %
Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Rank 30 Percent receiving need-based grants: 31 % Average discount from total cost: 50 %

The list goes on to a top 50, best colleges, best values for national universities
Source(s):
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national-best-values

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TOP 10 (Princeton Review)

PRIVATE:
1. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pa.)
2. Harvard College (Cambridge, Mass.)
3. Princeton University (Princeton, N.J.)
4. Rice University (Houston, Texas)
5. Yale University (New Haven, Conn.)
6. Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.)
7. Amherst College (Amherst, Mass.)
8. California Institute of Technology (Pasadena)
9. Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.)
10. Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.)

PUBLIC:
1. University of Virginia (Charlottesville)
2. New College of Florida (Sarasota)
3. College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.)
4. State University of New York-Binghamton
5. Florida State University (Tallahassee)
6. North Carolina State University (Raleigh)
7. University of California San Diego
8. City University of New York -- Hunter College (New York, N.Y.)
9. University of Georgia (Athens)
10. The College of New Jersey (Ewing)

Great graphical view of the top "Best Value" colleges:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.htm

Source: The Princeton Review

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TOP 10 (Kiplinger)

PRIVATE:
1. California Institute of Technology
2. Yale
3. Princeton
4. Rice
5. Duke
6. Harvard
7. Dartmouth
8. MIT
9. Emory
10. Stanford

PUBLIC:
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2. University of Florida
3. University of Virginia
4. University of Georgia
5. College of WIlliam and Mary
6. SUNY Geneseo
7. SUNY Binghamton
8. New College of Florida
9. University of Maryland, College Park
10. University of California, San Diego

Source: Kiplinger
Source(s):
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-01-07-best-value-colleges_N.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.htm
http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/privatecolleges/privatecollege.php?schoollis...=ALL&myschool=none&outputby=table
http://content.kiplinger.com/tools/colleges/pubcollege.php?sortby=INRANK04&...=ALL&myschool=none&outputby=table

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I think it really depends on what degree you are going for. I did alot of research when looking for a college to get my art history degree, and finally settled on one that I believed to be one of the best. Over the past few years, I have had a horrible experience. While the school is ranked high, and the campus is beautiful, I have not fit well with many of the professors.

I think a college is something that even though it might be considered the best, It might not be the best for you. My best experience so far was at a junior college. It was cheap, unnoticed by many, but had a professor that was integral into getting me hooked on art history and to this date helped me to gain the most knowledge possible.
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The Princeton Review provide a list for best value colleges, http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.htm.

It is difficult to answer which school will give you the best education at the least cost because that question is really dependent on what major you will be pursuing in college.

I would start with the list provided by The Princeton Review, then look into the departmental program that you would like to major in. Additionally, you may also want to consider a 'big name' school that is easily recognizable because that will make a difference once you graduate and start looking for a job or applying to graduate school.
Source(s):
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.htm

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