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 2021-2022 Tuition & Fees
1. Jewish Theological Seminary of America $66,064
2. Bard College at Simon's Rock $63,583
3. Columbia University $63,530
4. Franklin and Marshall College $63,406
5. Kenyon College $63,310
6. Tufts University $63,000
7. Vassar College $62,870
8. Reed College $62,730
9. Brown University $62,304
10. University of Chicago $62,241
11. Colorado College $62,070
12. Wesleyan University $62,049
13. Colgate University $61,966
14. University of Pennsylvania $61,710
15. Boston College $61,706
16. Union College $61,659
17. University of Southern California $61,503
18. Landmark College $61,490
19. Trinity College $61,370
20. Colby College $61,220
21. Haverford College $61,210
22. Amherst College $61,150
23. Cornell University $61,015
24. Dartmouth College $60,870
25. Tulane University $60,814
26. Connecticut College $60,795
27. Northwestern University $60,768
28. Wellesley College $60,752
29. Harvey Mudd College $60,703
30. Macalester College $60,518
31. Skidmore College $60,302
32. Duke University $60,244
33. Hobart William Smith Colleges $60,240
33. Oberlin College $60,240
35. Southern Methodist University $60,236
36. Carleton College $60,225
37. St Lawrence University $60,220
38. Brandeis University $60,006
39. Hamilton College $59,970
40. Gettysburg College $59,960
41. Georgetown University $59,957
42. Yale University $59,950
43. George Washington University $59,870
44. Boston University $59,816
45. Bucknell University $59,802
46. Wake Forest University $59,770
46. Middlebury College $59,770
48. Pepperdine University $59,702
49. Barnard College $59,687
50. Williams College $59,660
51. Bennington College $59,638
52. Sarah Lawrence College $59,470
53. Washington and Lee University $59,380
54. University of Rochester $59,378
55. Bates College $59,062
56. Villanova University $59,020
57. Franklin W Olin College of Engineering $58,998
58. Carnegie Mellon University $58,924
59. Washington University in St Louis $58,866
60. University of Notre Dame $58,843
61. Dickinson College $58,733
62. Johns Hopkins University $58,720
63. California Institute of Technology $58,680
64. Grinnell College $58,648
65. Chapman University $58,634
66. University of Richmond $58,570
67. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute $58,526
68. Scripps College $58,442
69. Occidental College $58,426
70. Bowdoin College $58,322
71. Wheaton College (MA) $58,180
72. Claremont McKenna College $58,111
73. Pitzer College $57,978
74. Bard College $57,968
75. Northeastern University $57,592
76. Syracuse University $57,591
77. Denison University $57,500
78. Lehigh University $57,470
79. Lewis & Clark College $57,404
80. Drexel University $57,136
81. Lafayette College $57,114
82. Vanderbilt University $56,966
83. Stevens Institute of Technology $56,920
84. Pomona College $56,686
85. Ursinus College $56,600
86. College of the Holy Cross $56,540
87. Mount Holyoke College $56,518
88. New York University $56,500
89. Webb Institute $56,455
90. Bryn Mawr College $56,320
91. Rhode Island School of Design $56,290
92. Stanford University $56,169
93. Fordham University $56,161
94. Smith College $56,114
95. Swarthmore College $56,056
96. Princeton University $56,010
97. Providence College $55,988
98. Whitman College $55,982
99. Massachusetts Institute of Technology $55,878
100. Santa Clara University $55,860

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.)

Previous Rankings

Most Expensive Colleges for 2018-2019

Most Expensive Colleges for 2018-2019

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
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 2012-2013

Most Expensive Colleges for 2012-2013

Our Most Expensive Colleges ranking for 2012-2013 featured a news story highlighting the fact that the price of college, for the first time ever, had eclipsed the $60K per year mark. When we broke the news, the story received notable press coverage from outlets such as CNBC, ABC News and affiliates, and CBS.

Read the full story at: A New Era: $60K per year Colleges

You can also view college cost data we have collected over the years:


Most Expensive Colleges for 2011-2012

Most Expensive Colleges for 2011-2012

Most Expensive Colleges 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 College by mtsofan on Flickr
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.

Westlands at Sarah Lawrence 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 RankChange
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
Wesleying
The GW Hatchet
Student Life (Washington University in St Louis)

Most Expensive Colleges for 2009-2010

Most Expensive Colleges for 2009-2010

Sarah Lawrence College

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

CollegeCost
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.

CollegeCost
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

Sarah Lawrence College

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

CollegeTuition
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

CollegeTotal 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.

Most Expensive Colleges for 2007-2008

Most Expensive Colleges for 2007-2008

George Washington University

Tuition rates have been rising an average of 6% a year. This rate has been out pacing inflation at a much faster rate for decades.

Higher tuition puts more pressure on parents trying to finance their son or daughter's education, as well as with students, who are forced to pull out larger student loans. While student loans are considered "good debt" because of its investment, the price of college is still too high for most students.

Most people want to receive a quality education and many will pay what ever it takes to get the best. However, just because a college is the most expensive, doesn't necessarily make it one of the best colleges. In fact, some argue that some of the schools on this list of expensive colleges are just using their high cost as a marketing ploy, knowing there are people out there who want the best and believe they have to pay up to get it.

Some of these tuition fees are pretty outstanding, considering the median tuition at a four-year school is about $7,490.

The most expensive colleges are just about all in the northeast corner of the United States, being Ivy League type schools or fine liberal arts schools in the New York area that boast low student-teacher ratios. Of course, most of these expensive colleges are private, as tuition is usually twice as much at a private school.

These rankings are based on 2007-2008 tuition rates. Remember though, not all students are paying this much, as many of these schools have excellent financial aid packages.

Highest College Tuition

College Tuition
1. George Washington $39,210
2. Bucknell $37,934
3. University of Richmond $37,610
4. Colgate $37,405
5. Sarah Lawrence College $37,230
6. Tulane $36,610
7. Wesleyan University $36,536
8. Hamilton College $36,500
9. Bowdoin College $36,370
10. Carnegie Mellon $35,984
11. Penn $35,916
12. Johns Hopkins $35,900
13. Bennington College $35,850
14. Tufts University $35,842
15. Brown $35,584
16. Vassar College $35,570
17. NYU $35,283
18. USC $35,212
19. Notre Dame $35,190
20. Dartmouth $35,178
Brown University

Of course this list does not take into context room and board. Where the college is located can be a huge price difference. Bigger, more populous cities demand higher rent and expenses.

So, taking that into context, here are the most expensive colleges based on tuition and room and board combined for one school year.

Highest Total Cost

College Tuition, Room and Board
1. George Washington $51,110
2. Johns Hopkins University $47,626
3. Brown $47,476
4. NYU $47,063
5. Wesleyan University $46,666
6. Colgate $46,575
7. University of Chicago $46,308
8. Tulane $46,300
9. Bowdoin College $46,260
10. Boston College $46,210
11. Penn $46,124
12. USC $46,070
13. Tufts University $46,002
14. Bucknell $45,986
15. Boston University $45,880
16. Hamilton College $45,850
17. Northwestern University $45,840
18. Washington U.- St. Louis $45,752
19. Sarah Lawrence College $45,730
20. Cornell $45,690

Editor's note:

Data based on tuition data published on specific college websites as of September 10, 2007.

This list covers traditional 4-year colleges, therefore may not include some schools, such as Bard College at Simon's Rock since it is geared toward students who have completed the 10th or 11th grade, but have not received a high school diploma. A majority of students at Simon's Rock transfer to larger institutions after receiving an associate's degree after two years.

Other non-traditional schools include Landmark College which provides a liberal arts education to kids with learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Tuition at Landmark College is now listed at over $40,000.