These are America’s best colleges that cost less than $20,000

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Don’t want to be one of the college students contributing to America’s record-breaking $1.5 trillion student-loan problem?

While these schools won’t leave you completely debt-free, there’s a list out there of great schools that cost less than $20,000 a year.

Data analysis site HowMuch created a map of the best colleges in each state that also cost less than $20,000 in annual tuition. The colleges were compiled from U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best College Rankings. From there, the map shows the top-ranked college in every state costing less than $20,000 each year in tuition and fees (excluding room and board).

Many of the colleges come in at well under $20,000. University of Wyoming comes in at just $5,218 each year -- the cheapest college on this list. Forty-six of the colleges on this list cost less than $16,000 annually, and 28 colleges on the list come in at less than $11,000.

Related read: How to send your kids to college free or almost free

Note that for the public universities on this list, the tuition prices are based on in-state tuition prices (some colleges charge significantly more for students attending from out of state).

This list suggests that the mantra “you get what you pay for” doesn’t necessarily apply to colleges. If you’re looking to land a job at Google   or Facebook head to the University of California, Berkeley. The state school saw more graduates score a job at one of the top 25 companies in Silicon Valley than any other college in America. The University of Texas at Austin, which costs $9,914 in annual tuition, comes in at No. 5 on the same list.

University of Missouri consistently ranks at the top in lists of the nation’s best journalism schools. And at $11,258 in annual tuition, it could be a solid choice for one of the growing number of students looking to become journalism majors.

If it’s a huge salary you’re seeking, consider Georgia Tech. While the annual tuition cost is just $12,618, the average starting salary for graduates is a whopping $68,100.

America’s student loan crisis is increasingly growing, as debt has jumped from about $600 billion 10 years ago to more than $1.5 trillion today. College graduates leave school with about $37,000 in debt on average, according to Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert.