“Why is college so expensive and how on earth are we going to pay for it?” I bet you’ve said that more than once if you have a college-bound teenager. Most parents struggle, even if they have saved, to juggle their finances to accommodate an expensive college education. Some families resort to taking out parent and student loans to pay for college. But is there a better way?

One way to avoid paying too much for college is to choose an affordable college. Staying within your budget isn’t that difficult. There are thousands of colleges and universities in this country that offer an affordable education. Parents should be bargain hunters and search for those college bargains.

Student Loan Hero has done some research that can help. If your student is open to “searching outside the box” and finding a college that will allow him to graduate debt free, these 20 affordable small colleges should be added to his list of possibilities. According to their research, “The 20 most affordable small colleges have tuition and fees that are all $7,000 or less. This means the most affordable colleges offer savings of $20,750 in tuition and fees compared to average small colleges. Three of the top colleges even have tuition-free initiatives that effectively put these costs at $0.”

1.  College of the Ozarks in Missouri
2.  Berea College in Kentucky
3.  Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky
4.  York College in New York
5.  Dixie State University in Utah
6.  New Mexico Highlands University
7.  New College of Florida
8.  Southern Utah University
9.  College of Coastal Georgia
10.  Cameron University in Oklahoma
11.  Rogers State University in Oklahoma
12.  East Central University in Oklahoma
13.  Emporia State University in Kansas
14.  The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
15.  Southeastern Oklahoma State University
16.  Dickinson State University of North Dakota
17.  University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
18.  Southwestern Oklahoma State University
19.  University of North Carolina at Pembroke
20.  Northeastern State University in Oklahoma

Keep in mind, of course, that many of these colleges are state schools and the fees for in-state students are less than those for out-of-state. However, many states have reciprocal agreements with other states that allow out-of-state students to receive in-state tuition rates. Check with each college regarding these agreements.

For information on each college, check out CollegeData.com. For more details on the cost of each college and information about their financial aid you can go to Student Loan Hero:  Survey: See the 20 Most Affordable Small Colleges in the US.