There's only one golden rule of college finance -- look beyond the sticker price. For students with good grades, these institutions are educational steals, thanks to their low tuition costs, generous financial aid packages or innovative aid opportunities. Handpicked by examining each school's admissions selectivity and net cost for middle-income families, these institutions provide significant bang for your tuition bucks.

They are some of the best-value colleges in the country and worth checking out.