Introduction

Best Inexpensive Colleges

Believe it or not, you don't have to empty your bank account to buy a good education.

WalletPop discovered some inexpensive universities and colleges, some of which won't even cost you a penny. Here's a look at 10 reputable schools where you can earn a degree for less than $5,000 per year. -- Jason Cochran

(iStock Photo)

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Introduction Believe it or not, you don't have to empty your bank account to buy a good education.

WalletPop discovered some inexpensive universities and colleges, some of which won't even cost you a penny. Here's a look at 10 reputable schools where you can earn a degree for less than $5,000 per year. -- Jason Cochran

(iStock Photo)
University of Te... 50 percent of applicants are accepted to this school, and because Texas has one of the biggest college endowments in America, there's plenty of aid to go around. Often, if an out-of-state student receives at least $1,000 in academic scholarships from the university, he or she will become eligible to pay the in-state rate.

(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
University of No... The oldest state university in the nation, this school's tuition maxes out to $1,932.50 per semester for full-time students, or $3,865 for a full academic year of two semesters. Out-of-state residents don't have it nearly as good, but fortunately, UNC's average financial-aid package offers a reasonable amount of money.

(AP Photo/Grant Halverson)
University of Vi... The school's endowment fund is worth nearly $4 billion, so applicants who qualify for aid are usually able to win a lot of it (an average of $12,400 per student per year).

(AP Photo/Andrew Shurtleff)
Brigham Young Un... Run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the school in Provo, Utah, costs $4,290 per year, or just $2,145 for Mormons. But there is a catch for some prospects: Every student, regardless of his or her religion, must sign an "honor code" promising not to drink, smoke or live with members of the opposite sex during their tenure. Many corporations seek to hire this school's students based on their upstanding morals and reputation.

(AP Photo/George Frey)
Rice University An amazing endowment fund makes it so that rarely anyone has to pay full tuition rates at this Houston school. The university, strong for its sciences, pledges to meet 100 percent of a student's proven need, which makes entry as competitive as for any Ivy League institution.

(AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
Berea College Located in Berea, Ky., this school is incredibly inclusive: Tuition is free. Worthy rural students are given academic opportunities and personal attention. The only catch is that each student must work 10 to 15 hours per week in a place like a dorm or a kitchen. In other schools, that's a work-study job, but at Berea College, that time pays the whole bill.

(AP Photo/Brian Tietz)
Military Service... In return for a five-year service commitment to the military after graduation, students (except those at the Merchant Marine Academy) get an annual "salary" that covers books and sundries. Room and board are also covered, and the government even throws in perks such as free medical care and super-low rates on new car purchases. Institutions include the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., the United States Air Force Academy in Colo., the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., and the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

(AP Photo/Gary Sussman)
Cooper Union for... Thanks to a huge endowment, tuition is free at this school in the East Village section of Manhattan in New York City.

(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Deep Springs Col... Located on a cattle farm, this tiny two-year college admits just 13 males who live communally with a strong spirit of self-governance. They don't pay anything -- no tuition, no room, no board. The enterprising men who depart after two years are often snatched up by Ivy League schools.

(iStock Photo)
College of the O... Students at this Christian college, located in Point Lookout, Mo., work off about $4,060 of their annual charge by participating in a work program. Between that and great financial aid, college expenses are more than affordable. (AP Photo/Cliff Schiappa)
The Most Expensi... Click here to see the most expensive colleges in America.