America's Most Expensive Colleges

No two things are more stressful to a prospective college student than the question of getting accepted and determining if they can actually afford attending the school of their dreams. The cost of college is no joke, and is something we have tried to put a spotlight on since we started ranking expensive colleges back in 2007, as it is a troublesome debt many students will carry for years to come.

Here we list the 100 most expensive colleges in the U.S. based on tuition data reported in the latest IPEDS survey from the US Department of Education.

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Name of Institution 2018-19 Tuition & Fees 1. Columbia University $59,430 2. University of Chicago $58,230 3. Vassar College $56,960 4. Trinity College $56,910 5. Landmark College $56,800 6. Jewish Theological Seminary of America $56,778 7. Harvey Mudd College $56,620 8. Franklin and Marshall College $56,550 9. Amherst College $56,426 10. Tufts University $56,382 11. Reed College $56,340 12. University of Southern California $56,225 13. Bucknell University $56,092 14. Kenyon College $55,930 15. Sarah Lawrence College $55,900 16. Colgate University $55,870 17. Duke University $55,695 18. University of Pennsylvania $55,584 19. Colorado College $55,470 20. Brown University $55,466 21. Carnegie Mellon University $55,465 22. Boston College $55,464 23. Dartmouth College $55,453 24. Williams College $55,450 25. Brandeis University $55,395 26. Union College $55,290 27. Hobart William Smith Colleges $55,255 28. George Washington University $55,230 29. Colby College $55,210 30. Cornell University $55,188 31. Bard College at Simon's Rock $55,082 32. Oberlin College $55,052 33. Barnard College $55,032 34. Scripps College $55,024 35. Wesleyan University $54,944 36. St Lawrence University $54,846 37. Haverford College $54,838 38. Connecticut College $54,820 39. Tulane University of Louisiana $54,820 40. Carleton College $54,759 41. Occidental College $54,686 42. Bard College $54,680 43. Dickinson College $54,661 44. Hamilton College $54,620 45. Northwestern University $54,568 46. Southern Methodist University $54,492 47. Gettysburg College $54,480 48. Middlebury College $54,450 49. Skidmore College $54,420 50. Claremont McKenna College $54,405 51. Macalester College $54,344 52. St. John's College $54,118 53. Georgetown University $54,104 54. Pitzer College $54,056 55. Boston University $53,948 56. Pepperdine University $53,932 57. Bowdoin College $53,922 58. University of Rochester $53,909 59. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $53,880 60. Bennington College $53,860 61. Bates College $53,794 62. Johns Hopkins University $53,740 63. Franklin W Olin College of Engineering $53,736 64. Wellesley College $53,732 65. Lafayette College $53,630 66. Yale University $53,430 67. Washington University in St Louis $53,399 68. University of Notre Dame $53,391 69. St. John's College $53,343 70. Wake Forest University $53,322 71. Villanova University $53,308 72. Drexel University $53,244 73. Lehigh University $52,930 74. Pomona College $52,780 75. College of the Holy Cross $52,770 76. Whitman College $52,764 77. Chapman University $52,724 78. Fordham University $52,687 79. Wheaton College $52,626 80. University of Richmond $52,610 81. Muhlenberg College $52,595 82. Swarthmore College $52,588 83. Washington and Lee University $52,455 84. Smith College $52,404 85. Grinnell College $52,392 86. California Institute of Technology $52,362 87. Bryn Mawr College $52,360 88. Stevens Institute of Technology $52,202 89. Ursinus College $52,050 90. Denison University $51,960 91. Pratt Institute-Main $51,870 92. Syracuse University $51,853 93. Massachusetts Institute of Technology $51,832 94. New York University $51,828 95. Santa Clara University $51,711 96. Hampshire College $51,668 97. Northeastern University $51,522 98. Davidson College $51,447 99. Stanford University $51,354 100. Emory University $51,306

Data Source: U.S. Department of Education IPEDS Survey

The price tags shown for these schools do not mean that they are financially out of reach. Many schools provide financial aid packages that meet 100% of a student's financial need (Cost of Attendance - Estimated Family Contribution). Some colleges even eliminate tuition altogether for lower income students.

To get a better understanding of what you will actually be paying, be sure to use net price calculators that each school provides on their website. These typically take about 10-15 minutes to complete, but can provide a more realistic figure of what you can expect to pay. (For a complete list of colleges and links to their net price calculators visit collegecost.ed.gov/net-price.)

Also see colleges with the highest room and board.

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Previous Rankings

Most Expensive Colleges for 2014-2015 Most Expensive Colleges for 2014-2015 With most of these schools surpassing the $60K per year mark in total cost, incoming students can expect to see a price tag of over a quarter-million dollars for their 4-year degree when expected yearly increases in tuition are taken into account. When you consider only about a third of students complete their degree within four years, you can see how students can really rack up student loan debt. The list of the 100 most expensive colleges by total cost (tuition + room & board + required fees) are all private and range from $56,000 all the way up to $65,000 per year. This is a significant jump in price from the average private university cost of $42,419 and (obviously) the average cost of attending a public in-state college at $18,943. While the majority of these colleges offer great financial aid packages to those with need, it’s important to note there are still students who are paying these exuberant prices. At Duke University (#44 on this list), for example, about 50% of its students are paying the fully listed price of $60,533. If you needed your holiday dinner table discussion topic, here it is: The 100 Most Expensive Colleges for 2014-2015. Top 100 Most Expensive Colleges by Total Cost College Total Cost 1. Sarah Lawrence College 65,480 2. Harvey Mudd College 64,427 3. New York University 63,472 4. Columbia University 63,440 5. University of Chicago 62,458 6. Claremont McKenna College 62,215 7. Fordham University - Lincoln Center 62,192 8. Bard College 62,012 9. Dartmouth College 61,947 10. Scripps College 61,940 11. Oberlin College 61,788 12. Trinity College (CT) 61,756 13. Pitzer College 61,750 14. Bard College at Simon's Rock 61,735 15. Northwestern University 61,640 16. University of Southern California 61,614 17. Haverford College 61,564 18. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 61,529 19. Fordham University - Rose Hill 61,472 20. Drexel University 61,383 21. Johns Hopkins University 61,306 22. Tufts University 61,277 23. Amherst College 61,206 24. Wesleyan University 61,198 25. Carnegie Mellon University 61,186 26. Vassar College 61,140 27. Penn 61,132 28. Williams College 61,070 29. Occidental College 60,972 30. Cornell University 60,964 31. Connecticut College 60,895 32. Tulane University 60,861 33. Eugene Lang College (The New School) 60,852 34. Franklin & Marshall College 60,799 35. Georgetown University 60,768 36. Brandeis University 60,750 37. Bates College 60,720 38. Hampshire College 60,715 39. Barnard College 60,700 40. Boston University 60,694 41. University of Rochester 60,668 42. Boston College 60,622 43. Southern Methodist University 60,586 44. Duke University 60,533 45. Pomona College 60,532 46. The George Washington University 60,460 47. Washington University in St. Louis 60,355 48. Bennington College 60,310 49. Union College (NY) 60,240 50. Stevens Institute of Technology 60,168 51. Colgate University 60,145 52. Bucknell University 60,140 53. Carleton College 60,102 54. Pepperdine University 60,082 55. Hobart and William Smith College 60,034 56. St. Lawrence University 59,972 57. Hamilton College 59,970 58. Reed College 59,960 59. Skidmore College 59,942 60. Bryn Mawr College 59,890 61. Yale University 59,800 62. Smith College 59,674 63. Dickinson College 59,664 64. Babson College 59,614 65. Swarthmore College 59,610 66. Bowdoin College 59,568 67. Colby College 59,500 68. University of Notre Dame 59,461 69. Brown University 59,428 70. Olin College 59,225 71. Middlebury College 59,160 72. Lafayette College 59,155 73. Wellesley College 59,038 74. St. John's College (MD) 58,896 75. Kenyon College 58,890 76. Wake Forest University 58,838 77. Gettysburg College 58,820 78. Harvard 58,607 79. Wheaton College (MA) 58,511 80. Stanford University 58,388 81. Villanova University 58,244 82. MIT 58,240 83. Vanderbilt University 58,220 84. St. John's College (NM) 58,208 85. Davidson 58,146 86. Chapman University 58,048 87. College of the Holy Cross 58,042 88. Emory University 57,768 89. Macalester College 57,691 90. Ursinus College 57,580 91. Northeastern University 57,490 92. University of Richmond 57,470 93. Providence College 57,383 94. Drew University 57,366 95. Worcester Polytechnic Institute 57,304 96. Colorado College 57,162 97. University of Miami 57,034 98. Fairfield University 56,960 99. Loyola University Maryland 56,880 100. Denison University 56,850 Data compiled by CampusGrotto.com Notes: Total Cost = Tuition + Room and Board + Required Fees The fees included in the total cost only include fees that are required for all undergraduates. These fees typically include items like the Student Activity Fee, a Facilities Fee, and a Technology fee. You won't see any fees by major, orientation fees for incoming students, or medical insurance fees included in these costs. Many other fees can be optional and can vary per student and per major. A Student Health Insurance Fee, for example, is obviously not going to be required for a student already on their parents’ insurance plan. Some colleges have their yearly budget for students listed slightly higher than what you see here. This is because some colleges also add in the estimated costs for books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation costs. Tuition numbers were taken directly from each college's website in fall of 2014. This list only takes into account colleges that offer bachelor's (BA) degrees at traditional 4-year undergraduate colleges, so you will not see any junior colleges or music conservatories on this list, or schools like Landmark College (costs over $60K) who offer students an Associate of Arts (AA) degree.

Most Expensive Colleges for 2011-2012 Most Expensive Colleges for 2011-2012 Welcome to the 5th annual ranking of most expensive colleges compiled by Campus Grotto. While the names on this list haven’t changed much over the years, the numbers sure have. When we first started ranking colleges by cost back in 2007, only one school (GWU) had a total cost of over $50K, now 111 do. Back then, not a single school had tuition over $40K, now 80 have passed that mark. There are now nineteen universities charging over $55,000 (just one last year), and that’s not even including the cost of textbooks. Sarah Lawrence College is once again named the most expensive college by total cost for the 2011-2012 school year, marking the 4th year in a row the school has topped the ranking. Is it worth the money? Who knows, but the college does boast one of the lowest student-teacher ratios in the country and all students receive one-on-one weekly guidance from faculty.

Sarah Lawrence: Home of the nation's most expensive college. Sarah Lawrence: Home of the nation's most expensive college. It's important to note that these numbers are the ‘sticker prices’ for each institution for the 2011-2012 school year. Just because these schools have high tuition does not mean you will actually be paying that amount. Many schools will provide a financial aid package that meets 100% of a student's financial need (Cost of Attendance - Estimated Family Contribution). While going to college is still expensive, many of the colleges here offer great financial aid packages. To get a better idea of what you will actually be paying at each school, be sure to use the net price calculator that every college is required to have on their website starting October 29th (Thanks to the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008). Hopefully these calculators will give students (and their parents) a better idea of what they will actually be paying before applying. Knowing colleges provide great financial aid packages, we hope to take these total cost numbers and apply the average grant each school gives to figure the typical out-of-pocket expense for these schools. The Department of Education recently 'ranked' a list of expensive schools by net price. While interesting, the tuition figures were a bit outdated as they were taken from the 2009-2010 school year. By us being able to provide the net price for the 2011-2012 school year, we will have this data out nearly two years ahead of the Dept. of Ed. Look for this in the coming weeks. You will see all of the schools on this list are private colleges. Public schools are more affordable, but it should be noted they are rising in price faster than private schools. For the first time schools once considered affordable, like Cal Berkeley and UCLA, are nearly making the top 100 most expensive list with their nonresident tuition (listed at 115 and 120, respectively). (No wonder they are protesting over tuition increases.) We start by taking a look at tuition. Highest College Tuition 2011-2012 Here are the top 100 most expensive colleges by tuition for the 2011-2012 school year. There are now 80 colleges that charge over $40,000/year for tuition, nearly double the amount that did last year. College Tuition 1. Middlebury College $45,935 2. Sarah Lawrence College $44,220 3. The George Washington University $44,103 4. Vassar College $44,050 5. Connecticut College $43,990 6. Bucknell University $43,628 7. Wesleyan University $43,404 8. St. John's College $43,256 9. University of Richmond $43,170 10. Carnegie Mellon University $43,160 11. Union College (NY) $43,131 12. Columbia University $43,088 13. Bard College at Simon's Rock $43,000 14. Williams College $42,938 15. Oberlin College $42,842 16. Bowdoin College $42,816 17. Carleton College $42,690 18. Colgate University $42,625 19. Dickinson College $42,610 19. Gettysburg College $42,610 21. Bates College $42,550 22. Reed College $42,540 23. Franklin & Marshall College $42,510 24. Bard College $42,476 25. St. Lawrence University $42,420 26. Johns Hopkins University $42,280 27. Hamilton College $42,220 28. Amherst College $42,170 29. University of Southern California $42,162 30. Hobart and William Smith College $42,014 31. Tufts University $41,998 32. Claremont McKenna College $41,995 33. Trinity College (CT) $41,980 34. Hampshire College $41,900 35. Harvey Mudd College $41,870 36. Occidental College $41,860 37. University of Chicago $41,853 38. Haverford College $41,830 39. Macalester College $41,800 40. Scripps College $41,736 40. Dartmouth College $41,736 42. Bennington College $41,690 43. Ursinus College $41,650 44. Wheaton College (MA) $41,600 44. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $41,600 46. Northwestern University $41,592 47. Skidmore College $41,520 48. Boston College $41,480 49. Brown University $41,328 50. Cornell University $41,325 51. Mount Holyoke College $41,270 52. Wake Forest University $41,100 53. Kenyon College $41,090 54. University of Rochester $41,040 55. Colby College $41,020 56. Washington and Lee University $40,990 57. Washington University in St. Louis $40,950 58. Georgetown University $40,920 59. University of Notre Dame $40,910 59. College of the Holy Cross $40,910 61. Boston University $40,848 62. Swarthmore College $40,816 63. Duke University $40,670 64. Lehigh University $40,660 65. Emory University $40,600 66. Villanova University $40,530 67. Brandeis University $40,514 68. Pepperdine University $40,500 68. Yale University $40,500 70. MIT $40,460 71. Barnard College $40,422 72. Wellesley College $40,410 73. Babson College $40,400 74. Lafayette College $40,340 75. Vanderbilt University $40,320 76. Stevens Institute of Technology $40,300 77. Whitman College $40,180 78. Providence College $40,150 79. Drew University $40,128 80. Stanford University $40,050 81. Fairfield University $39,990 82. Bryn Mawr College $39,860 83. Tulane University $39,850 84. Smith College $39,800 85. Drexel University $39,700 86. Muhlenberg College $39,630 87. Pomona College $39,572 88. Colorado College $39,550 89. Loyola University Maryland $39,470 90. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $39,450 91. New York University $39,344 92. Denison University $39,330 93. Grinnell College $39,250 94. Fordham University $39,235 95. Furman University $39,200 95. Chapman University $39,200 97. Santa Clara University $39,048 98. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering $39,000 99. Pitzer College $38,832 100. Willamette University $38,800 When required fees are added onto tuition, the rankings change slightly, mainly because some schools (Columbia, Penn, Harvard) have fees that total a couple thousand dollars. Highest Tuition and Fees 2011-2012 Here are the top 100 most expensive colleges by tuition and required fees for the 2011-2012 school year. College Tuition + Fees 1. Middlebury College $46,315 2. Columbia University $45,290 3. Sarah Lawrence College $45,212 4. Vassar College $44,705 5. The George Washington University $44,148 6. Trinity College (CT) $44,070 7. Connecticut College $43,990 8. Bucknell University $43,866 9. Carnegie Mellon University $43,812 10. Wesleyan University $43,674 11. St. John's College $43,656 12. Union College (NY) $43,602 13. Tulane University $43,434 14. Bard College $43,331 15. University of Southern California $43,306 16. Bowdoin College $43,246 17. Hobart and William Smith College $43,220 18. Oberlin College $43,210 19. Williams College $43,190 20. University of Richmond $43,170 21. Bard College at Simon's Rock $43,150 22. Dickinson College $43,060 23. Dartmouth College $42,996 24. Tufts University $42,962 25. Occidental College $42,960 26. Carleton College $42,942 27. Colgate University $42,920 28. Amherst College $42,898 29. Reed College $42,800 29. Bennington College $42,800 31. University of Chicago $42,783 32. St. Lawrence University $42,735 33. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $42,704 34. Hamilton College $42,640 35. Kenyon College $42,630 36. Gettysburg College $42,610 37. Franklin & Marshall College $42,560 38. Pitzer College $42,550 38. Bates College $42,550 40. Duke University $42,410 41. Skidmore College $42,380 42. Johns Hopkins University $42,280 43. Claremont McKenna College $42,240 44. Brown University $42,230 45. Haverford College $42,208 46. Boston College $42,204 47. Barnard College $42,184 48. Harvey Mudd College $42,140 49. Penn $42,098 50. Macalester College $42,021 51. Washington University in St. Louis $41,992 52. Northwestern University $41,983 53. Scripps College $41,950 54. Drexel University $41,940 55. Washington and Lee University $41,927 56. Hampshire College $41,900 57. Wheaton College (MA) $41,894 58. Brandeis University $41,860 59. University of Rochester $41,802 60. Stevens Institute of Technology $41,782 61. Ursinus College $41,650 62. New York University $41,606 63. Wake Forest University $41,576 64. Cornell University $41,541 65. College of the Holy Cross $41,488 66. Mount Holyoke College $41,456 67. Boston University $41,420 68. University of Notre Dame $41,417 69. Georgetown University $41,393 70. Vanderbilt University $41,332 71. Emory University $41,164 72. Swarthmore College $41,150 73. Villanova University $41,110 74. Colby College $41,020 75. Drew University $41,010 76. Providence College $40,975 77. Lehigh University $40,960 78. Loyola University Maryland $40,870 79. Bryn Mawr College $40,824 80. Pepperdine University $40,752 81. MIT $40,732 82. Wellesley College $40,660 83. Lafayette College $40,658 84. Fairfield University $40,580 85. Stanford University $40,569 86. Yale University $40,500 87. Whitman College $40,496 88. Babson College $40,400 89. Denison University $40,210 90. Smith College $40,070 91. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $40,030 92. Fordham University $39,967 93. Muhlenberg College $39,915 94. Colorado College $39,900 95. Pomona College $39,883 96. Harvard College $39,851 97. Grinnell College $39,810 98. University of Miami $39,654 99. Chapman University $39,564 100. Furman University $39,560 Room and board is another cost that is often overlooked. Many colleges in the urban areas of New York, Boston, and the California coast have room and board expenses that run $13,000-$14,000 per year. Our favorite example is with NYU, who ranks 91st in tuition, but when factoring in room and board they become the 2nd most expensive college. Here we add the cost of a typical double room plus meal plan charged by each college to get the total cost to attend the college. Colleges with the Highest Total Cost 2011-2012 College Total Cost 1. Sarah Lawrence College $59,170 2. New York University $56,787 3. Columbia University $56,310 4. Harvey Mudd College $55,998 5. Eugene Lang College (The New School) $55,890 6. Claremont McKenna College $55,865 7. Wesleyan University $55,706 8. Bard College $55,617 9. Barnard College $55,566 10. Trinity College (CT) $55,450 11. University of Chicago $55,416 12. University of Southern California $55,384 13. Dartmouth College $55,365 14. Drexel University $55,335 15. Bates College $55,300 16. Johns Hopkins University $55,242 17. Vassar College $55,135 18. Bard College at Simon's Rock $55,110 19. Haverford College $55,050 20. Pitzer College $54,988 21. Fordham University - Lincoln Center $54,972 22. Connecticut College $54,970 23. Bennington College $54,960 24. Occidental College $54,950 25. Carnegie Mellon University $54,922 26. Bowdoin College $54,900 26. Scripps College $54,900 28. Fordham University - Rose Hill $54,893 29. Vanderbilt University $54,892 30. Northwestern University $54,763 31. Oberlin College $54,760 32. Cornell University $54,695 33. Stevens Institute of Technology $54,682 34. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $54,679 35. Washington University in St. Louis $54,666 36. Williams College $54,560 37. Boston College $54,528 38. Tufts University $54,474 39. The George Washington University $54,473 40. Georgetown University $54,443 41. Tulane University $54,284 42. Union College (NY) $54,273 43. Bucknell University $54,240 44. Carleton College $54,180 45. Boston University $54,130 46. Amherst College $54,098 47. Hobart and William Smith College $54,072 48. Franklin & Marshall College $54,060 49. St. John's College $53,990 50. Penn $53,976 51. University of Rochester $53,922 52. Brandeis University $53,916 53. Dickinson College $53,860 54. Reed College $53,850 55. Colby College $53,800 56. Duke University $53,760 57. St. Lawrence University $53,740 58. Babson College $53,730 59. Bryn Mawr College $53,714 60. Skidmore College $53,684 61. Mount Holyoke College $53,596 62. Colgate University $53,570 63. Hamilton College $53,470 64. Smith College $53,460 65. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering $53,450 66. Middlebury College $53,420 67. Wellesley College $53,250 67. Swarthmore College $53,250 69. Brown University $53,136 70. Providence College $53,115 71. Pomona College $53,110 72. Hampshire College $53,080 73. Lafayette College $53,020 74. Wake Forest University $52,986 75. Stanford University $52,860 76. University of Notre Dame $52,805 77. Emory University $52,792 78. Gettysburg College $52,790 78. Fairfield University $52,790 80. College of the Holy Cross $52,758 81. Yale University $52,700 82. Harvard College $52,652 83. Kenyon College $52,650 84. Southern Methodist University $52,646 85. Washington and Lee University $52,614 86. Pepperdine University $52,596 87. Wheaton College (MA) $52,564 88. Chapman University $52,521 89. MIT $52,507 90. University of Richmond $52,420 91. Loyola University Maryland $52,320 92. Drew University $52,160 93. Villanova University $52,070 94. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $51,964 95. Ursinus College $51,950 96. Lehigh University $51,800 97. American University $51,719 98. Macalester College $51,417 99. Dominican University of California $51,250 100. University of Miami $51,182 Data compiled by CampusGrotto.com Other Notable Colleges: While Harvard is 82nd in total cost, it ranks 146 in tuition.

Princeton ranks 114th total cost and 125th in Tuition.

UC Berkeley ranks 115th in total cost.

UCLA ranks 120th in total cost. Notes:

Total Cost = Tuition + Room and Board + Required Fees The fees included in the total cost only include fees that are required for all undergraduates. These fees typically include items like the Student Activity Fee, a Facilities Fee, and a Technology fee. You won't see any fees by major, orientation fees for incoming students, or medical insurance fees included in these costs. Many other fees can be optional and can vary per student and per major. A Student Health Insurance Fee, for example, is obviously not going to be required for a student already on their parents’ insurance plan. Some colleges have their yearly budget for students listed slightly higher than what you see here. This is because some colleges also add in estimated costs of books, personal expenses, and transportation costs. Tuition numbers were taken directly from each college's website during the last week of September of 2011. This list only takes into account colleges that offer bachelor's (BA) degrees, so you will not see schools like Landmark College (costs over $55K) who only offer students an Associate of Arts (AA) degree. Also See:

Most Expensive Dorms for 2011-2012. Notable Press

The Washington Post

The Huffington Post

The Wall Street Journal

Fox News

National Review

Consumerist

Yale Daily News

ABC7 KABC-TV Los Angeles Corrections: We originally announced there were twenty colleges charging over $55K. A $198 orientation fee was included in the total cost of Carnegie Mellon. Since this list only includes fees that are required of all undergraduates, we adjusted the total cost of CMU (which dropped them below the $55K mark). There are nineteen colleges charging over $55K for 2011-2012 when totaling tuition, room/board, and fees required of all undergrads.

Harvey Mudd notified us that the published student body fee on their website was overstated by $270. The total cost for Harvey Mudd College is $55,998, not $56,268 as previously published. They are still the 4th most expensive.

Most Expensive Colleges for 2010-2011 Most Expensive Colleges for 2010-2011 This year saw many increases in tuition prices, some even drawing protests and near riots. There are many reasons for these increases, but it is mostly blamed on reduced state appropriations, higher health care costs, and increased utility costs. The demand for college increases during a recession as those who can’t find work go back to school. Easy access to student aid further increases the demand for higher education, and the price sure shows it. You will notice all the schools on this list are private. Public schools are more affordable but it should be noted they are climbing in price faster than private schools. Public 4-year in-state schools increased by 46.1% from 2000-2001 to 2009-2010, while private not-for-profit schools increased 30.8% over the same period. Just looking at Tuition and Room & Board numbers, an additional 48 colleges passed the $50k mark this year, bringing the total to 82. As far as tuition, 43 colleges now charge over $40,000/year, compared to just 11 last year. Taking the price of one of these institutions you can see that the cost of a 4-year degree is one fat sticker price. That sticker price will get even uglier when you consider tuition increases every year (unless you go to a school like GWU where tuition is locked in) and the fact that many students do not finish within 4 years. Thankfully many of these colleges offer great aid packages. It is important to note that just because these schools have high tuition does not mean you will actually be paying that amount. Many schools will provide a financial aid package that meets 100% of a student's financial need (Cost of Attendance - Estimated Family Contribution). Many of these colleges provide excellent financial aid packages, some even offering scholarships that cover most of the financial burden of attending the college. In 2009-2010 full-time students at private not-for-profit 4-year colleges received an average of about $14,400 in grant aid, reducing the average net tuition and fees to about $11,900. Knowing colleges provide great financial aid packages, we hope to take this list and apply grants to figure the average out-of-pocket expense for these schools (as soon as grant data is available). Most Expensive Colleges 2010-2011 Here are the top 100 most expensive colleges by total cost of tuition + room/board for the 2010-2011 school year. Also included is the school's rank in last year's most expensive colleges list and the number of spots moved. Cost = Tuition + Room and Board College Cost '09-'10 Rank Change 1. Sarah Lawrence College $56,420 1 - 2. New York University $53,589 2 - 3. Wesleyan University $53,406 11 +8 4. Harvey Mudd College $53,331 9 +5 5. Bates College $53,300 4 -1 6. Johns Hopkins University $53,190 6 - 7. Connecticut College $53,110 8 +1 8. Claremont McKenna College $52,995 12 +4 9. The George Washington University $52,980 3 -6 10. Scripps College $52,686 23 +13 11. Bard College $52,650 19 +8 12. Vassar College $52,640 10 -2 13. Bard College at Simon's Rock $52,610 22 +9 14. Haverford College $52,606 15 +1 15. Georgetown University $52,526 7 -8 16. Bowdoin College $52,465 16 - 17. Eugene Lang College $52,440 41 +24 18. Duke University $52,405 27 +9 19. University of Chicago $52,341 28 +9 20. Union College (NY) $52,329 35 +15 21. Carnegie Mellon University $52,250 14 -7 22. Oberlin College $52,244 30 +8 23. Fordham University - Lincoln Center $52,159 47 +24 24. Middlebury College $52,120 17 -7 25. Cornell University $52,100 32 +7 26. Williams College $52,096 48 +22 27. Northwestern University $52,080 43 +16 28. Bucknell University $52,050 33 +5 29. Fordham University - Rose Hill $52,036 53 +24 30. Franklin & Marshall College $52,010 21 -9 30. Vanderbilt University $52,010 26 -4 32. Colby College $51,990 25 -7 33. Boston College $51,962 20 -13 34. Tufts University $51,932 29 -5 35. Washington University in St. Louis $51,918 38 +3 36. Babson College $51,916 24 -12 37. Carleton College $51,882 36 -1 38. Mount Holyoke College $51,850 18 -20 39. University of Southern California $51,842 34 -5 40. Bennington College $51,830 40 - 41. Barnard College $51,818 58 +17 42. Dartmouth College $51,816 36 -6 43. St. John's College $51,776 51 +8 44. Colgate University $51,775 13 -31 45. Columbia University $51,730 54 +9 46. Wellesley College $51,704 50 +4 47. Smith College $51,640 31 -16 48. Dickinson College $51,600 38 -10 49. Reed College $51,590 45 -4 50. Boston University $51,574 44 -6 51. St. Lawrence University $51,520 46 -5 52. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering $51,500 49 -3 53. Trinity College (CT) $51,370 56 +3 54. Hamilton College $51,350 55 +1 55. Skidmore College $51,336 5 -50 56. Hampshire College $51,279 52 -4 57. Occidental College $51,230 72 +15 58. Swarthmore College $51,160 61 +3 59. Stevens Institute of Technology $51,130 42 -17 60. Drexel University $51,125 57 -3 61. University of Rochester $51,120 67 +6 62. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $51,065 62 - 63. Hobart and William Smith College $51,050 64 +1 64. Pomona College $51,023 59 -5 65. Chapman University $51,010 63 -2 66. Wheaton College (MA) $50,970 65 -1 67. Gettysburg College $50,880 84 +17 68. Bryn Mawr College $50,840 66 -2 69. Amherst College $50,820 78 +9 70. Lafayette College $50,769 60 -10 71. Brandeis University $50,596 80 +9 72. Stanford University $50,576 70 -2 73. Wake Forest University $50,554 75 +2 74. Brown University $50,468 81 +7 75. University of Richmond $50,420 77 +2 76. Providence College $50,390 NR - 77. Pepperdine University $50,350 74 -3 78. University of Notre Dame $50,282 69 -9 79. College of the Holy Cross $50,270 71 -8 80. Fairfield University $50,190 82 +2 81. MIT $50,174 68 -13 82. Lehigh University $50,000 76 -6 83. Villanova University $49,990 72 -11 84. Yale University $49,800 89 +5 85. Emory University $49,798 79 -6 86. Washington and Lee University $49,743 94 +8 87. Ursinus College $49,700 86 -1 88. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $49,680 85 -3 89. American University $49,610 91 +2 90. University of San Diego $49,552 83 -7 91. Drew University $49,537 87 -4 92. Pitzer College $49,470 92 - 93. Rollins College $49,400 88 -5 94. Santa Clara University $49,110 90 -4 95. Macalester College $48,924 97 +2 96. Kenyon College $48,920 95 -1 97. Case Western Reserve $48,700 101 +4 98. Northeastern University $48,670 100 +2 99. Loyola University Maryland $48,600 93 -6 100. Princeton University $48,580 96 -4

Highest Tuition 2010-2011 Here are the top 100 most expensive colleges by tuition for the 2010-2011 school year. This year 43 colleges now charge over $40,000/year for tuition, compared to just 11 last year. College Tuition 1. Middlebury College $45,185 2. Connecticut College $43,990 3. The George Washington University $42,860 4. Sarah Lawrence College $42,600 5. Vassar College $42,560 6. Bucknell University $42,112 7. Wesleyan University $41,814 8. St. John's College $41,792 9. University of Richmond $41,610 10. Colgate University $41,585 11. Union College (NY) $41,571 12. Carnegie Mellon University $41,500 13. Oberlin College $41,234 14. Williams College $41,190 15. Dickinson College $41,170 16. Bard College at Simon's Rock $41,160 16. Columbia University $41,160 18. Bowdoin College $41,150 19. Bates College $41,120 20. Franklin & Marshall College $41,090 21. Carleton College $41,076 22. Gettysburg College $41,070 23. Reed College $40,940 24. St. Lawrence University $40,905 25. Hamilton College $40,870 26. Bard College $40,840 27. Wheaton College (MA) $40,790 28. Johns Hopkins University $40,680 29. Tufts University $40,664 30. Hobart and William Smith College $40,592 31. Duke University $40,575 32. Hampshire College $40,481 33. Trinity College (CT) $40,410 34. University of Southern California $40,384 35. Skidmore College $40,350 36. Bennington College $40,280 37. Haverford College $40,260 38. Scripps College $40,236 39. University of Chicago $40,188 40. Amherst College $40,160 41. Harvey Mudd College $40,133 42. New York University $40,082 43. Mount Holyoke College $40,070 44. Claremont McKenna College $39,995 45. Dartmouth College $39,978 46. Ursinus College $39,950 47. Brown University $39,928 48. Boston College $39,880 49. Occidental College $39,870 50. Macalester College $39,846 51. Northwestern University $39,840 52. Georgetown University $39,768 53. Colby College $39,640 54. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $39,600 55. Wake Forest University $39,544 56. Washington and Lee University $39,500 57. University of Rochester $39,480 57. Lehigh University $39,480 59. Cornell University $39,450 60. Wellesley College $39,420 60. Kenyon College $39,420 62. University of Notre Dame $39,412 63. Washington University in St. Louis $39,400 64. Villanova University $39,350 65. College of the Holy Cross $39,330 66. Boston University $39,314 67. Swarthmore College $39,260 68. Babson College $39,040 69. Brandeis University $38,994 70. Pepperdine University $38,960 71. Vanderbilt University $38,952 72. MIT $38,940 73. Barnard College $38,868 74. Lafayette College $38,810 75. Drew University $38,765 76. Colorado College $38,748 77. Stanford University $38,700 78. Smith College $38,640 79. Providence College $38,610 80. Emory University $38,600 81. Fairfield University $38,450 81. Whitman College $38,450 83. Bryn Mawr College $38,420 84. Stevens Institute of Technology $38,400 85. Yale University $38,300 85. Tulane University $38,300 87. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $38,140 88. Muhlenberg College $38,110 89. Pomona College $38,087 90. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering $38,000 90. Drexel University $38,000 92. Loyola University Maryland $37,950 93. Furman University $37,728 94. Rollins College $37,640 95. Fordham University $37,545 96. Pitzer College $37,520 97. Chapman University $37,500 98. Santa Clara University $37,368 99. Case Western Reserve $37,300 100. Denison University $37,270 Data compiled by CampusGrotto.com Other Notable Colleges:

Harvard placed as the 137th most expensive college tuition wise and 114th in total cost. Penn placed as the 113th most expensive college tuition wise and 110th in total cost. Notes:

Cost is taken by adding tuition + room and board. We do not include fees when figuring the total cost. This is because many fees can be optional and can vary per student and per major. A Student Health Insurance Fee, for example, is obviously not going to be required for a student already on their parents’ insurance plan. Some colleges also charge fees to certain majors. Including fees in the 'Total Cost' would have led to too many 'What Ifs'. We take the price a typical freshman would pay for tuition, room and board. These numbers were taken directly from the college's website in October of 2010. In the event that the University does not provide an estimated cost of room and board (because some dorms on campus are priced differently), we took the price of a dorm a typical freshman would find themselves in. Some colleges like Bates College, Colby College, Middlebury College, and Union College have a comprehensive fee (tuition + room/board). Their tuition numbers were taken by taking their total comprehensive fee and subtracting by the amount of rebate the college gives to students who choose to live off campus. Press Coverage:

Washington Post

The Huffington Post

CNBC

Burlington Free Press

Yale Daily News

Daily Herald (Brown University)

LAist

InsideSocal

Wesleying

The GW Hatchet

Student Life (Washington University in St Louis)

Most Expensive Colleges for 2009-2010 Most Expensive Colleges for 2009-2010 For the second year in a row, Sarah Lawrence College is the most expensive college in the nation for the 2009-2010 school year, while NYU edges out The George Washington University to take 2nd in the ranking. Most of the colleges in the ranking of expensive colleges are private liberal arts schools located in the Northeast. Even while tuition at private colleges rose 4.3 percent for 2009-2010, the smallest increase in 37 years, many colleges have approached the $50,000 per year mark. It is important to note that just because these schools have high tuition, doesn’t mean you will actually be paying that amount. Many of these colleges provide excellent financial aid packages. A lot of these schools offer scholarships that often cover most of the financial burden of attending the college. For example, MIT is tuition-free for families earning less than $75,000 a year. These are prices for one year of education at traditional 4-year undergraduate colleges. Colleges with the Highest Total Cost 2009-2010 College Cost 1. Sarah Lawrence College $54,410 2. New York University $51,991 3. The George Washington University $51,730 4. Bates College $51,300 5. Skidmore College $51,196 6. Johns Hopkins University $51,190 7. Georgetown University $51,122 8. Connecticut College $51,115 9. Harvey Mudd College $51,037 10. Vassar College $50,875 11. Wesleyan University $50,862 12. Claremont McKenna College $50,800 13. Colgate University $50,660 14. Carnegie Mellon University $50,640 15. Haverford College $50,625 16. Bowdoin College $50,485 17. Middlebury College $50,400 18. Mount Holyoke College $50,390 19. Bard College $50,380 20. Boston College $50,370 21. Franklin & Marshall College $50,360 22. Bard College at Simon's Rock $50,340 23. Scripps College $50,336 24. Babson College $50,324 25. Colby College $50,320 26. Vanderbilt University $50,282 27. Duke University $50,250 28. University of Chicago $50,247 29. Tufts University $50,178 30. Oberlin College $50,166 31. Smith College $50,132 32. Cornell University $50,114 33. Bucknell University $50,098 34. University of Southern California $50,028 35. Union College (NY) $49,983 36. Dartmouth College $49,974 36. Carleton College $49,974 38. Dickinson College $49,860 38. Washington University in St. Louis $49,860 40. Bennington College $49,830 41. Eugene Lang College $49,800 42. Stevens Institute of Technology $49,800 43. Northwestern University $49,791 44. Boston University $49,758 45. Reed College $49,690 46. St. Lawrence University $49,680 47. Fordham University - Lincoln Center $49,655 48. Williams College $49,640 49. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering $49,630 50. Wellesley College $49,612 51. St. John's College $49,592 52. Hampshire College $49,545 53. Fordham University - Rose Hill $49,541 54. Columbia University $49,524 55. Hamilton College $49,470 56. Trinity College (CT) $49,460 57. Drexel University $49,381 58. Barnard College $49,372 59. Pomona College $49,361 60. Lafayette College $49,319 61. Swarthmore College $49,250 62. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $49,245 63. Chapman University $49,174 64. Hobart and William Smith College $49,168 65. Wheaton College (MA) $49,155 66. Bryn Mawr College $49,120 67. University of Rochester $49,070 68. MIT $48,870 69. University of Notre Dame $48,850 70. Stanford University $48,843 71. College of the Holy Cross $48,800 72. Occidental College $48,750 72. Villanova University $48,750 74. Pepperdine University $48,630 75. Wake Forest University $48,618 76. Lehigh University $48,530 77. University of Richmond $48,490 78. Amherst College $48,400 79. Emory University $48,396 80. Brandeis University $48,368 81. Brown University $48,328 82. Fairfield University $48,170 83. University of San Diego $48,072 84. Gettysburg College $48,060 85. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $48,050 86. Ursinus College $47,750 87. Drew University $47,678 88. Rollins College $47,540 89. Yale University $47,500 90. Santa Clara University $47,400 91. American University $47,386 92. Pitzer College $47,278 93. Loyola University Maryland $47,190 94. Washington and Lee University $47,165 95. Kenyon College $47,070 96. Princeton University $47,020 97. Macalester College $46,942 98. Colorado College $46,902 99. Loyola Marymount University $46,880 100. Northeastern University $46,860 Total Cost = Tuition + Room/Board Colleges with the Highest Tuition 2009-2010 Here are the top 100 most expensive colleges by tuition for the 2009-2010 school year. College Cost 1. Middlebury College $43,690 2. Connecticut College $42,335 3. The George Washington University $41,610 4. Vassar College $41,335 5. Sarah Lawrence College $41,040 6. Colgate University $40,690 7. Bucknell University $40,594 8. Skidmore College $40,420 9. Carnegie Mellon University $40,300 10. Union College (NY) $40,068 11. University of Richmond $40,010 12. St. John's College $39,992 13. Franklin & Marshall College $39,930 14. Wesleyan University $39,822 15. Kenyon College $39,810 16. Dickinson College $39,780 17. Oberlin College $39,686 18. Bowdoin College $39,605 19. Bates College $39,575 20. Wheaton College (MA) $39,565 21. Carleton College $39,546 22. St. Lawrence University $39,520 23. Reed College $39,440 24. Tufts University $39,432 25. Bard College at Simon's Rock $39,380 26. Hamilton College $39,370 27. Columbia University $39,296 28. Williams College $39,250 29. Johns Hopkins University $39,150 30. Hobart and William Smith College $39,144 31. Hampshire College $39,112 32. Bard College $39,080 32. Duke University $39,080 34. Mount Holyoke College $38,940 35. Trinity College (CT) $38,900 36. New York University $38,765 37. Haverford College $38,735 38. Bennington College $38,730 39. Gettysburg College $38,690 40. Dartmouth College $38,679 41. Georgetown University $38,616 42. University of Southern California $38,570 43. University of Chicago $38,550 44. Boston College $38,530 45. Ursinus College $38,500 46. Scripps College $38,486 47. University of Notre Dame $38,480 48. Harvey Mudd College $38,467 49. Colby College $38,370 50. Lehigh University $38,330 51. Stevens Institute of Technology $38,300 52. Claremont McKenna College $38,275 53. Amherst College $38,250 54. Villanova University $38,240 55. Wake Forest University $38,206 56. College of the Holy Cross $38,180 57. Macalester College $38,174 58. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $38,100 59. Northwestern University $38,088 60. Brown University $38,048 61. Washington and Lee University $37,990 62. Occidental College $37,970 63. Cornell University $37,954 64. Boston University $37,910 65. University of Rochester $37,870 66. Wellesley College $37,826 67. Babson College $37,824 68. Washington University in St. Louis $37,800 69. Pepperdine University $37,730 70. Vanderbilt University $37,632 71. Brandeis University $37,566 72. Lafayette College $37,520 73. MIT $37,510 73. Smith College $37,510 73. Swarthmore College $37,510 76. Emory University $37,500 77. Stanford University $37,380 78. Drew University $37,310 79. Colorado College $37,278 80. Tulane University $37,200 81. Bryn Mawr College $37,120 82. Barnard College $37,052 83. Fairfield University $36,900 84. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $36,890 85. Muhlenberg College $36,730 86. Pomona College $36,710 87. Drexel University $36,700 88. Whitman College $36,620 89. Loyola University Maryland $36,510 90. Yale University $36,500 91. Grinnell College $36,476 92. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering $36,400 93. Furman University $36,296 94. Rollins College $36,220 95. Santa Clara University $36,000 96. Case Western Reserve University $35,900 97. University of San Diego $35,870 98. Pitzer College $35,840 99. Fordham University $35,825 100. Chapman University $35,790 Data compiled by CampusGrotto.com Other Notable Colleges:

Harvard placed as the 139th most expensive college tuition wise and 112th in total cost. Notes:

Total cost is taken by adding tuition + room and board. We do not include fees when figuring the total cost. This is because many fees can be optional and can vary per student. A Student Health Insurance Fee, for example, is obviously not going to be required for a student already on their parents’ insurance plan. Some colleges also charge fees to certain majors. Including fees in the 'Total Cost' would have led to too many 'What Ifs'. These numbers were taken directly from the college's website in October of 2009. In the case that the University does not provide an estimated cost of room and board (because some dorms on campus are priced differently), we took the price of a dorm a typical freshman would find themselves in. Some colleges like Bates College, Colby College, Middlebury College, and Union College have a comprehensive fee (tuition + room/board). Their tuition numbers were taken by taking their total comprehensive fee and subtracting by the amount of rebate the college gives to students who choose to live off campus. Photo Credit

Most Expensive Colleges for 2008-2009 Most Expensive Colleges for 2008-2009 As expected, college tuition seems to go up just about every year now. Sure, part of the reason may be inflation, but still the increases in tuition seem to always outpace the rate of inflation. You would think the weak economy would have an effect on tuition prices, and maybe it does. Perhaps alumni donors are unable to give as much as they have in the past. States are cutting their funding for higher education, which is huge considering most colleges get the majority of their funds from two sources: the State and tuition. One thing is for certain though, regardless of the state of our economy, the demand for higher education will always be there. We are reaching a point where the cost of one year of college education at some colleges is surpassing $50,000. Unless your parents are loaded, you can expect to have a HUGE amount of college debt after graduation. Even those that graduated five years ago will not feel the pain that today’s students will feel after they graduate and have to start paying back on their student loans. It is almost as if the current state and price of today’s education is forcing many students to go to a local community college for two years and then move on to complete their degree at a 4-year in-state school. One would think that those that do choose to go on to a more expensive prestigious college and graduate should have no problem obtaining a decent paying job to pay the bills (and student loans). But, as a student with little money, it can be hard just knowing how much debt you are about to get yourself into. Even debts over $50,000 sound overwhelming. One thing is for sure: make sure you know how you are going to pay for college before you actually go. Just because these schools have high tuition, doesn’t mean you will actually be paying that amount. Many of these colleges provide excellent financial aid packages. A lot of these schools offer scholarships that often cover most of the financial burden of attending the college. For example, Princeton University has always been known to offer its students some of the best financial aid packages, keeping its graduates debts at a relatively low level. Schools like Cooper Union, with a tuition of $33,000 per year, give every student a full tuition scholarship ensuring no student is responsible for tuition-related costs. Most of the colleges on this list of expensive colleges are private liberal arts schools located in the northeast that boast low student-to-teacher ratios. Highest Tuition 2008-2009 College Tuition 1. Bates College $43,950 2. Middlebury College $42,910 3. Colby College $42,730 4. Union College (NY) $40,953 5. Connecticut College $40,900 6. George Washington University $40,392 7. Vassar College $39,635 8. Sarah Lawrence College $39,450 9. Bucknell University $39,434 10. Colgate University $39,275 11. Carnegie Mellon $39,150 12. Kenyon College $39,080 13. Skidmore College $38,888 14. St. Johns College $38,854 15. University of Richmond $38,850 16. Tulane University $38,664 17. Wheaton College (MA) $38,585 18. Franklin & Marshall College $38,580 19. Wesleyan University $38,364 20. Hamilton College $38,220 21. Oberlin College $38,012 22. Reed College $37,960 23. Tufts University $37,952 24. Dickinson College $37,900 25. Bard College at Simon's Rock $37,860 26. Carleton College $37,845 27. Hobart and William Smith College $37,820 28. Bowdoin College $37,790 29. Hampshire College $37,789 30. Scripps College $37,736 31. Johns Hopkins University $37,700 32. St. Lawrence University $37,675 33. Duke University $37,630 34. Gettysburg College $37,600 35. Bard College $37,574 36. Georgetown University $37,536 37. University of Pennsylvania $37,526 38. Mount Holyoke College $37,480 39. Columbia University $37,470 40. Boston College $37,410 41. Williams College $37,400 42. New York University $37,372 43. Bennington College $37,280 44. Lehigh University $37,250 45. Haverford College $37,175 46. University of Southern California $37,096 47. Wake Forest University $36,975 48. Amherst College $36,970 49. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $36,950 50. Villanova University $36,950 51. Brown University $36,928 52. Dartmouth College $36,915 53. University of Chicago $36,891 54. Trinity College (CT) $36,864 55. University of Notre Dame $36,850 56. Claremont McKenna College $36,825 57. Northwestern University $36,756 58. Ursinus College $36,750 59. College of the Holy Cross $36,710 60. Pepperdine University $36,650 61. Boston University $36,540 62. Cornell University $36,504 63. Macalester College $36,504 64. Wellesley College $36,404 65. Harvey Mudd College $36,402 66. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $36,390 67. Washington University in St. Louis $36,200 68. Occidental College $36,160 69. Swarthmore College $36,154 70. MIT $36,140 71. Brandeis University $36,122 72. Vanderbilt University $36,100 73. Babson College $36,096 74. Stanford University $36,030 75. Barnard College $35,972 76. Lafayette College $35,904 77. Colorado College $35,844 78. Smith College $35,810 79. Emory University $35,800 80. Bryn Mawr College $35,700 81. Fairfield University $35,510 82. Yale University $35,300 83. Loyola College in Maryland $35,140 84. Muhlenberg College $35,125 85. Stevens Institute of Technology $35,070 86. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering $35,000 87. Santa Clara University $34,950 88. Whitman College $34,880 89. University of Miami $34,834 90. Rollins College $34,520 91. Pitzer College $34,500 92. Case Western Reserve University $34,450 93. Denison University $34,410 94. St. Olaf College $34,300 95. Princeton University $34,290 96. Mills College $34,170 97. Furman University $34,048 98. University of San Diego $34,000 99. Loyola Marymount University $33,901 100. Clark University $33,900 Of course, tuition is just one of the many costs associated with going to college. The other big expense is room and board. Some colleges also charge outrageous prices for student housing. The following list shows the most expensive colleges based on the total cost of tuition plus room and board. Top 100 Colleges by Highest Total Cost 2008-2009 Here are the top 100 most expensive colleges by total cost for the 2008-2009 school year. Total Cost = Tuition + Room and Board College Total Cost 1. Sarah Lawrence College $53,166 2. George Washington University $50,312 3. New York University $50,182 4. Georgetown University $49,689 5. Connecticut College $49,385 6. Bates College $49,350 7. Johns Hopkins University $49,278 8. Skidmore College $49,266 9. Scripps College $49,236 10. Middlebury College $49,210 11. Carnegie Mellon University $49,200 12. Boston College $49,020 13. Wesleyan University $49,000 14. Colgate University $48,900 15. Claremont McKenna College $48,755 16. Vassar College $48,675 17. Haverford College $48,625 18. University of Chicago $48,588 19. Union College (NY) $48,552 20. Colby College $48,520 21. Mount Holyoke College $48,500 22. Tufts University $48,470 23. Bard College at Simon's Rock $48,460 24. Franklin & Marshall College $48,450 25. Bard College $48,438 26. University of Southern California $48,394 27. Harvey Mudd College $48,373 28. Bowdoin College $48,170 29. Bucknell University $48,162 30. University of Pennsylvania $48,148 31. Cornell University $48,144 32. St. Johns college $48,138 33. Vanderbilt University $48,128 34. Babson College $48,116 35. Northwestern University $48,051 36. Hamilton College $48,030 37. Bennington College $47,960 38. Boston University $47,958 39. Barnard College $47,898 40. Tulane University $47,894 41. Oberlin College $47,882 42. Reed College $47,880 43. Hampshire College $47,869 44. Smith College $47,860 45. Carleton College $47,838 46. Washington University in St. Louis $47,836 47. Duke University $47,810 47. Eugene Lang College $47,810 49. Wellesley College $47,740 50. Wheaton College (MA) $47,735 51. Dartmouth College $47,694 52. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $47,680 53. Hobart and William Smith College $47,506 54. Dickinson College $47,500 55. Swarthmore College $47,468 56. Columbia University $47,450 57. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering $47,400 58. St. Lawrence University $47,320 59. Williams College $47,290 60. Worcester Polytechnic Institute $47,270 61. Bryn Mawr College $47,220 62. Stanford University $47,212 63. Lafayette College $47,152 64. Pepperdine University $47,130 65. University of Richmond $47,050 66. Lehigh University $47,020 66. Villanova University $47,020 68. MIT $47,000 68. Cooper Union $47,000 70. College of the Holy Cross $46,970 71. Brown University $46,950 72. Wake Forest University $46,920 73. Brandeis University $46,868 74. Trinity College (CT) $46,764 75. Amherst College $46,760 76. Gettysburg College $46,700 77. University of Notre Dame $46,680 78. Occidental College $46,430 79. Emory University $46,372 80. Fairfield University $46,360 81. Santa Clara University $46,020 82. Yale University $46,000 83. Loyola Marymount University $45,709 84. Princeton University $45,695 85. Kenyon College $45,670 85. Stevens Institute of Technology $45,670 87. Ursinus College $45,550 88. Mills College $45,440 89. Pitzer College $45,430 90. Pomona College $45,383 91. Rollins College $45,300 92. University of San Diego $45,292 93. Chapman University $45,286 94. American University $45,234 95. University of Miami $45,088 96. Macalester College $44,976 97. Colorado College $44,940 98. Case Western Reserve University $44,900 99. Loyola College in Maryland $44,880 100. Northeastern University $44,830 Other Notable Colleges:

Harvard placed as the 118th most expensive college tuition wise and 108th in total cost. Notes: The criteria of figuring the total cost was taking the tuition plus room and board. We did not include fees. We did not include fees because there are many fees that are optional or can vary per student. For example, some fees are specific to a certain major. Including fees would have led to too many What Ifs, therefore we excluded it. Some colleges like Bates College, Colby College, Middlebury College, and Union College have a comprehensive fee (tuition + room/board). Their tuition numbers were taken by taking their total comprehensive fee and subtracting by the amount of rebate the college gives to students who choose to live off campus and go with their own housing and board options.