What are some good colleges in Boston or near Boston that aren't too pricey?

Good for you for thinking about going to college as well as affordability.

What you actually end up paying at Boston-area colleges will depend on the scholarships or financial aid you receive. This site, run by the Department of Education, gives the data to help you understand the "net price" of a college, what percent of the students graduate, as well as amount of loans students graduate with. With a little research, you should be able to find out which colleges are within your budget.

http://collegecost.ed.gov

Just as a note, many of the"expensive" schools in Boston can offer significant aid (20% of Harvard students pay nothing - https://college.harvard.edu/financial-aid). So if you are a competitive applicant, don't write off a school just because of the sticker price - find out as much as you can about the financial aid the school gives to decide if you are going to apply.

Hope that helps and best of luck!

I would follow Gina's suggestions, but from personal experience I had a manageable experience with UMass Boston. If you are a resident in the state, then you can apply for in-state tuition which is significantly cheaper than the public and private universities in the state. It is always a good idea to investigate what you can apply for in regards to loans/scholarships/grants as well since they can significantly lower your costs. I always found UMass a great system overall because they often partner with other universities in the area, where your professor could spotlight as a professor at BU, Harvard, MIT, etc.

A lot of big private schools within Boston give great need-based financial aid packages. It's worth a shot to apply to schools like Northeastern and Boston University to see what kind of aid you get.

Keep in mind that, although you may get a lot of financial help from the university, living in Boston is expensive. Anything from a trip to the grocery store to paying rent for your living space will be at a premium compared to other places.

With that said, being in Boston brings a ton of opportunity to find jobs to have while a student that pay well and are fun. For example, I worked on the Boston Harbor literally sweeping the decks of boats. The view was beautiful and I got to meet a lot of successful people. Boston is such an exciting place for a student. It's all about finding a balance and running the numbers before you make a decision.

Best of luck!