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20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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nyu graduation

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?"

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

Elon University/Facebook

Annual tuition and fees: $33,829

Average loan debt per graduate: $34,729

12. University of Texas at Austin

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

American University

Annual tuition and fees: $48,459

Average loan debt per graduate: $35,075

10. Suffolk University

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

Suffolk University/Facebook

Annual tuition and fees: $35,578

Average loan debt per graduate: $28,859

9. University of Vermont

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

John Phelan/Wikipedia

Annual tuition and fees: $46,852

Average loan debt per graduate: $22,793

5. University of California-Davis

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

Duquesne University/Facebook

Annual tuition and fees: $39,578

Average loan debt per graduate: $43,637

3. State University of New York — Purchase College

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

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

20 US colleges where financial aid could be better, according to students

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Annual tuition and fees: $50,464

Average loan debt per graduate: $31,210

See Also:

SEE ALSO: The 25 US colleges that give the most financial aid, ranked

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