Most Expensive Colleges and Universities in the U.S.
- The most expensive college in the U.S. as of the 2023-2024 academic year was Pepperdine University.
- Universities with the most expensive college tuition charged students up to nearly $65,000 per year, while total costs at these institutions exceeded $90,000 a year.
- Cost of attendance is one of the most important factors in students’ college choice.
- Despite high sticker prices, these universities often offer generous financial aid packages.
The rising cost of attendance at U.S. colleges and universities has continued to be one of the most important factors students consider when choosing a what school to attend.
According to data on nearly 2,000 U.S. institutions from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 2023-2024, the total cost at about 250 of these schools exceeded $65,000 per year in 2022-2023 for out-of-state students living on campus. Five years prior, fewer than 100 schools cost that much.
Below, we take a closer look at the most expensive colleges in the U.S. and tell you just how much of that cost could be left up to you to pay after scholarships and grants.
The Most Expensive Colleges Ranked by Total Cost
Below are the 25 most expensive four-year colleges and universities based on total cost of attendance as of the 2023-2024 academic year:
| Ranking | School | Annual Cost of Attendance (2023-2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pepperdine University | $93,512 |
| 2 | Northwestern University | $91,290 |
| 2 | University of Chicago | $86,856 |
| 3 | University of Southern California | $90,453 |
| 3 | Columbia University | $86,097 |
| 4 | The New School | $90,400 |
| 5 | Haverford College | $90,382 |
| 6 | University of Chicago | $90,360 |
| 7 | Harvey Mudd College | $90,165 |
| 8 | Barnard College | $89,808 |
| 9 | Boston College | $89,605 |
| 10 | Vanderbilt University | $89,590 |
| 11 | Columbia University | $89,587 |
| 12 | Fordham University | $89,575 |
| 13 | University of Pennsylvania | $89,028 |
| 14 | Wesleyan University | $89,020 |
| 15 | Georgetown University | $88,741 |
| 16 | Washington University in St. Louis | $88,488 |
| 17 | University of Miami | $88,440 |
| 18 | Yale University | $88,300 |
| 19 | Tufts University | $88,300 |
| 20 | Cornell University | $88,140 |
| 21 | Trinity College | $87,910 |
| 22 | Stanford University | $87,833 |
| 23 | Dartmouth College | $87,793 |
| 24 | New York University | $87,752 |
| 25 | Brown University | $87,648 |
Despite these institutions’ high sticker prices, most students who attend actually pay much less. Many schools have generous financial aid packages for individuals below certain income thresholds and offer additional assistance based on merit. Some schools even commit to meeting 100% of students’ demonstrated need, allowing them to avoid taking out loans.
But even when costs are high, many of the priciest schools have seen increasing enrollment amid national enrollment declines. Unsurprisingly, each of these schools is a private institution.
Get to Know the Top 10 Most Expensive Colleges
Below are the top 10 most expensive colleges in the U.S. based on their total cost of attendance in the 2023-2024 academic year. We list each school’s tuition and fees, total cost of attendance, and the average net price students are expected to pay after being awarded Title IV grant aid.
1. Pepperdine University
- Tuition and fees: $66,742
- Total cost of attendance: $93,512
- Average net price: $52,216
Pepperdine University’s total cost of attendance increased by 28% over the last five years. These high costs may have left students wary as the institution saw enrollment decline by 8.5% between 2018-2019 and 2023-2024.
Pepperdine awards grants to students based on demonstrated need and the strength of their applications. The school distributes scholarships based on academic achievement.
2. Northwestern University
- Tuition and fees: $65,997
- Total cost of attendance: $91,290
- Average net price: $23,341
Between 2018-2019 and 2023-2024, Northwestern University’s total cost of attendance rose by about 22%. While costs grew considerably, full-time undergraduate enrollment rose by just over 9%.
Despite high costs, the school boasted a more than $250 million financial aid budget in 2023-2024. Northwestern additionally reports that over 60% of undergraduate students receive financial aid and that it will meet 100% of demonstrated need without loans.
3. University of Southern California
- Tuition and fees: $68,237
- Total cost of attendance: $90,453
- Average net price: $41,496
The University of Southern California’s cost of attendance increased by about 21% between 2018-2019 and 2023-2024. During the same period, the institution saw its enrollment figures increase by 7%.
USC is a need-blind institution, meaning students’ financial needs are not factored into admission decisions. More than 75% of the aid the school offers comes in the form of grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid.
4. The New School
- Tuition and fees: $56,311
- Total cost of attendance: $90,400
- Average net price: $62,226
The New School’s cost of attendance increased by 27% over the last five years. During the same period, the institution saw its enrollment figures decrease by about 19%.
In fall 2024, The New School began offering students a financial aid guarantee meaning that it will guarantee institutional offers of merit- and need-based grant and scholarship funds for the full duration of a student’s degree program. Through this guarantee, there are no GPA renewal criteria that students must meet to receive aid funds.
5. Haverford College
- Tuition and fees: $68,020
- Total cost of attendance: $90,382
- Average net price: $22,828
Between 2018-2019 and 2023-2024, Haverford College’s total cost of attendance rose by 22%. But the institution’s enrollment only increased by just over 4% during the same period.
Despite the institution’s high costs, Haverford students have access to the school’s robust financial aid program, which prioritizes minimizing student debt. Students with family incomes below $60,000 a year can expect financial aid packages with no loans. And students with families that have higher incomes can expect loan offerings that do not exceed $3,000 a year.
6. University of Chicago
- Tuition and fees: $65,619
- Total cost of attendance: $90,360
- Average net price: $27,979
Over the last five years, the University of Chicago’s total cost of attendance has increased by nearly 15%. And between fall 2018 and fall 2023, full-time undergraduate enrollment at UChicago decreased by just over 10%.
UChicago offers extensive financial assistance and meets 100% of students’ demonstrated need without loans. At least one of the institution’s aid offerings intended for low-income students is a full-ride scholarship that also offers funding for study abroad programs and networking opportunities.
7. Harvey Mudd College
- Tuition and fees: $66,255
- Total cost of attendance: $90,165
- Average net price: $42,720
Harvey Mudd College’s total cost of attendance increased by 17% over the last five years. Meanwhile, the institution’s full-time undergraduate enrollment decreased by just over 4% between fall 2018 and fall 2023.
Harvey Mudd graduates can look forward to a promising return on their investment, according to outcomes data recently collected by Georgetown. Out of more than 4,500 institutions, Harvey Mudd ranks in the top 75 due to graduates’ expected earnings net of debt and other costs 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 years after graduating.
8. Barnard College
- Tuition and fees: $66,246
- Total cost of attendance: $89,808
- Average net price: $27,738
Between 2018-2019 and 2023-2024, Barnard College’s total cost of attendance rose by 20%. The institution also saw a more than 16% increase in enrollment over the same period, which is the largest enrollment boost on this list.
All financial aid awarded to Barnard students is need-based, and the school will meet 100% of students’ demonstrated need with grants, loans, and job opportunities. During the 2023-2024 academic year, 1 in 3 Barnard students (34%) received need-based financial aid with an average aid amount of about $55,000.
9. Boston College
- Tuition and fees: $67,680
- Total cost of attendance: $89,605
- Average net price: $32,590
Boston College’s total cost of attendance increased by just under 23% over the last five years. The institution’s enrollment increased by less than 1% during the same period.
Like many other schools in the top 10, BC practices need-blind admissions, and all financial aid awarded is need-based. Though BC offers loans in its financial aid packages, its class of 2021 has a 0% default rate.
10. Vanderbilt University
- Tuition and fees: $63,946
- Total cost of attendance: $89,590
- Average net price: $26,689
Vanderbilt University increased its total cost of attendance by just under 28% over the last five years. During the same period, the institution’s enrollment rose by just 1%, signaling that rising costs may be making students think twice about enrolling.
Still, Vanderbilt offers a robust financial aid program that includes a full tuition scholarship for students whose families’ household incomes are $150,000 or less. These students are additionally eligible to receive Opportunity Vanderbilt awards that help cover food and housing costs.
The Most Expensive Colleges by Net Cost
As seen above, a majority of the most expensive institutions today — including Ivy Leagues — offer significant financial aid to their students through scholarships and grants. This helps bring down the total cost of attendance and the remaining fees paid by the student, which are called net costs.
While students can get a decent understanding of just how expensive their school is by looking at the total cost of attendance, the net cost is often a more helpful metric when it comes to college planning. So, below, we’ve ranked the top 25 most expensive four-year institutions by their net cost of attendance as of the 2022-2023 academic year.
A majority of the institutions in the top 25 are private, nonprofit institutions. Four are for-profit schools, and not a single public institution makes the top 25.
| Rank | School | State | Annual Net Cost of Attendance (2022-2023) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The New School | NY | $62,226 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 2 | Ringling College of Art and Design | FL | $60,362 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 3 | School of Visual Arts | NY | $59,211 | Private, For-Profit |
| 4 | California Institute of the Arts | CA | $57,288 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 5 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | IL | $55,485 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 6 | Loyola Marymount University | CA | $54,471 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 7 | Art Center College of Design | CA | $53,306 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 8 | Pepperdine University | CA | $52,216 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 9 | West Coast University, Los Angeles | CA | $51,992 | Private, For-Profit |
| 10 | Manhattan School of Music | NY | $51,879 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 11 | Pratt Institut-Maine | NY | $51,702 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 12 | Syracuse University | NY | $51,520 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 13 | Dominican University of California | CA | $51,520 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 14 | Emerson College | MA | $50,703 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 15 | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | $50,631 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 16 | New York Film Academy | NY | $50,504 | Private, For-Profit |
| 17 | Oberlin College | OH | $50,484 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 18 | Newschool of Architecture and Design | CA | $50,190 | Private, For-Profit |
| 19 | California College of the Arts | CA | $49,945 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 20 | Baylor University | TX | $49,727 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 21 | Santa Clara University | CA | $49,651 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 22 | The New England Conservatory of Music | MA | $49,544 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 23 | Otis College of Art and Design | CA | $49,440 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 24 | Berklee College of Music | MA | $48,608 | Private, Nonprofit |
| 25 | Chapman University | CA | $48,037 | Private, Nonprofit |
What Students Should Know About Paying for College
While it may be overwhelming to see the exorbitant costs of many institutions, you can access a number of resources available to help curb your out-of-pocket expenses.
Regardless of your financial situation, you should first fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, otherwise known as the FAFSA. Our FAFSA guide will tell you everything you need to know about when to fill out and how it can help you secure scholarships, loans, and grants to fund your education.
Should you need to take out federal or nonfederal student loans, think carefully about what type of degree you are pursuing. Consider opting for a high-value degree with a decent return on investment.
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