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The cost of an undergraduate degree is at an all-time high.
More than 44 milion Americans are saddled with student loan debt, contributing to a national total of $1.5 trillion, according to Student Loan Hero . And the average student debt per graduate who took out loans is higher than ever, at $17,126, Business Insider reported in November .
With those facts in mind, there's a lot to consider when it comes to selecting a college's financial aid package — some just aren't as robust as others.
The Princeton Review ranked the top 20 colleges that don't offer the greatest financial aid packages, according to students. It determined this ranking based on students' answers to the question: "If you receive financial aid, how satisfied are you with your financial aid package?"
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Thirteen of the schools are located in the northeast — nine of which make the top ten.
Below, see which schools offer the least financial aid, from the University of Massachusetts to New York University.
20. University of Massachusetts-Amherst
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UMass Amherst/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $34,570 (out-of-state);$15,887 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $31,860
19. University of Arizona
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Nagel Photography/Shutterstock
Annual tuition and fees: $32,449 (out-of-state);$11,644 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $23,956
18. University of New Hampshire
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Facebook/University of New Hampshire
Annual tuition and fees: $33,879 (out-of-state);$18,499 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $33,013
17. Oregon State University
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cpaulfell/Shutterstock
Annual tuition and fees: $30,141 (out-of-state);$11,166 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $26,749
16. Ohio University — Athens
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Wendy van Overstreet/Shutterstock
Annual tuition and fees: $20,622 (out-of-state);$11,658 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $27,993
15. Penn State University Park
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Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
Annual tuition and fees: $34,858 (out-of-state);$18,454 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $37,307
14. Michigan State University
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Michigan State University/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $42,111 (out-of-state);$17,758 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $32,310
13. Elon University
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Elon University/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $33,829
Average loan debt per graduate: $34,729
12. University of Texas at Austin
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f11photo/Shutterstock
Annual tuition and fees: ($37,480 out-of-state);$10,606 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $24,883
11. American University
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American University
Annual tuition and fees: $48,459
Average loan debt per graduate: $35,075
10. Suffolk University
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Suffolk University/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $35,578
Average loan debt per graduate: $28,859
9. University of Vermont
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Facebook/University of Vermont
Annual tuition and fees: $42,516 (out-of-state);$18,276 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $28,894
8. George Mason University
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George Mason University/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $35,922 (out-of-state);$12,462 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $30,755
7. University of Pittsburgh
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University of Pittsburgh/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $32,052 (out-of-state);$19,080 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $38,322
6. Emerson College
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John Phelan/Wikipedia
Annual tuition and fees: $46,852
Average loan debt per graduate: $22,793
5. University of California-Davis
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UC Davis/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $43,458 (out-of-state); $14,463 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $19,124
4. Duquesne University
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Duquesne University/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $39,578
Average loan debt per graduate: $43,637
3. State University of New York — Purchase College
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Purchase College/Facebook
Annual tuition and fees: $18,478 (out-of-state); $8,698 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: N/A
2. The College of New Jersey
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Facebook/The College of New Jersey
Annual tuition and fees: $27,577 (out-of-state); $16,148 (in-state)
Average loan debt per graduate: $37,787
1. New York University
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Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Annual tuition and fees: $50,464
Average loan debt per graduate: $31,210
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SEE ALSO: The 25 US colleges that give the most financial aid, ranked
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