Niche Colleges, Priced Right

Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to college. Mother Jones runs down 10 schools that “may not bother to juke their stats to make US News' short lists, but they still have plenty to offer—and for a lot less dough.”

Berea College, Kentucky: The price is right—$0—and eco-conscious students live in "environmentally friendly housing" complete with "a contraption that makes sewage so clean you can swim in it."
New College of Florida: In-staters pay just $4,700 a year for classes near the beach, but don't underestimate them: Since 1995, the school has "cranked out more Fulbright Scholars per student than Harvard, Stanford, or Yale."
The University of Minnesota-Morris: Just $8,830, and by 2010 none of that tuition will go towards carbon energy. An on-site wind turbine will produce all the energy.
The College of New Jersey, Ewing: In-state do-gooders pay $8,718, all of which can be offset with a public service-commitment.
California State University-Monterey Bay: Surf bums can study on the cheap—$3,845—and the bay offers a wet classroom for the Enviromental Science program.