2026 Expensive Colleges To Attend Rankings
The tuition & fees are the costs for attending class at a college and it varies by academic programs. The tuition & fees may be charged per semester, per course, or per credit hour.
In general, public colleges such as University of Florida and UCLA have in-state and out-of-state tuition rate. Students living in state in which they attend school pay the in-state rate of tuition and the cost is cheaper than out-of-state rate. The out-of-state tuition is charted by colleges to students who do not meet the school or state's residency requirement. Some public schools also offer in-district rate of tuition and it is relatively cheaper than in-state rate as well as out-of-state rate. Private schools do not offer tuition for state residents and its tuition & fees are usually higher than public schools' tuition & fees.
Nightingale College has the most expensive tuition & fees ($85,700) and University of Southern California has the second highest tuition & fees ($71,647) based on academic year 2024-2025 college costs data.
Below table ranks and compares the Expensive Colleges To Attend having expensive tuition & fees (based on undergraduate rate). For the ranking, we only include 4-year colleges that more than 3,000 students have enrolled in.
Expensive Colleges To Attend
| Rank | College Name | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Graduate Tuition & Fees | SAT Score | Acceptance Rate | Population | Graduation Rate | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nightingale College Salt Lake City, UT | $85,700 | - | - | - | 6,036 | 21% | 12 to 1 |
| 28 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | $71,647 | $71,515 | 1,500 | 9.8% | 46,566 | 92% | 9 to 1 |
| 12 | Brown University Providence, RI | $71,312 | $69,948 | 1,540 | 5.4% | 11,956 | 96% | 6 to 1 |
| 26 | Tufts University Medford, MA | $70,704 | $50,798 | 1,510 | 11.5% | 13,599 | 94% | 10 to 1 |
| 38 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | $70,702 | $37,520 | 1,500 | 16.4% | 15,432 | 91% | 10 to 1 |
| 7 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | $70,517 | $57,973 | 1,550 | 4.0% | 35,173 | 96% | 6 to 1 |
| 53 | Colgate University Hamilton, NY | $70,306 | $70,306 | 1,500 | 13.9% | 3,211 | 91% | 9 to 1 |
| 73 | Wesleyan University Middletown, CT | $70,042 | $69,702 | 1,490 | 16.5% | 4,011 | 93% | 8 to 1 |
| 80 | Pepperdine University Malibu, CA | $69,918 | $44,056 | 1,370 | 62.9% | 8,976 | 83% | 12 to 1 |
| 31 | Barnard College New York, NY | $69,888 | - | 1,520 | 8.8% | 3,487 | 93% | 10 to 1 |
| 9 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | $69,324 | $68,652 | 1,550 | 4.5% | 18,566 | 96% | 5 to 1 |
| 17 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY | $69,314 | $30,160 | 1,540 | 8.8% | 26,793 | 95% | 9 to 1 |
| 11 | Duke University Durham, NC | $68,758 | $66,523 | 1,540 | 5.7% | 17,499 | 97% | 5 to 1 |
| 8 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | $68,686 | $47,844 | 1,550 | 5.4% | 29,109 | 97% | 8 to 1 |
| 39 | Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA | $68,678 | $69,310 | 1,465 | 14.0% | 13,310 | 86% | 7 to 1 |
| 13 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | $68,322 | $54,655 | 1,540 | 7.7% | 23,856 | 95% | 6 to 1 |
| 37 | Boston University Boston, MA | $68,102 | $67,626 | 1,480 | 11.1% | 37,737 | 89% | 10 to 1 |
| 16 | Georgetown University Washington, DC | $68,089 | $61,670 | 1,490 | 12.9% | 20,031 | 95% | 11 to 1 |
| 97 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA | $68,080 | $60,153 | 1,470 | 40.5% | 5,205 | 86% | 10 to 1 |
| 10 | Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | $68,019 | $66,617 | 1,540 | 5.4% | 6,938 | 96% | 7 to 1 |
| 72 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA | $67,812 | $29,616 | 1,400 | 28.9% | 3,969 | 86% | 9 to 1 |
| 59 | Villanova University Villanova, PA | $67,776 | $22,335 | 1,450 | 27.0% | 10,041 | 92% | 10 to 1 |
| 63 | George Washington University Washington, DC | $67,710 | $36,414 | 1,430 | 47.1% | 25,374 | 84% | 13 to 1 |
| 50 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | $67,642 | $39,141 | 1,470 | 21.7% | 9,322 | 89% | 10 to 1 |
| 14 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | $67,498 | $57,868 | 1,540 | 5.9% | 13,575 | 94% | 8 to 1 |
| 6 | Yale University New Haven, CT | $67,250 | $49,500 | 1,540 | 3.9% | 15,564 | 96% | 5 to 1 |
| 74 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY | $67,080 | $39,310 | 1,490 | 40.1% | 11,946 | 85% | 9 to 1 |
| 98 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX | $67,040 | $37,278 | 1,420 | 63.4% | 12,116 | 84% | 11 to 1 |
| 58 | Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH | $66,608 | $53,980 | 1,510 | 36.5% | 12,475 | 87% | 9 to 1 |
| 27 | Northeastern University Boston, MA | $66,162 | $29,174 | 1,490 | 5.2% | 32,553 | 91% | 16 to 1 |
| 3 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | $65,910 | $61,878 | 1,550 | 3.6% | 18,625 | 92% | 6 to 1 |
| 22 | Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO | $65,790 | $65,146 | 1,540 | 12.1% | 16,357 | 94% | 7 to 1 |
| 20 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | $65,636 | $50,975 | 1,540 | 11.7% | 15,888 | 94% | 5 to 1 |
| 86 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | $65,528 | $48,132 | 1,360 | 45.9% | 22,589 | 84% | 15 to 1 |
| 67 | University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA | $65,230 | $31,229 | 1,480 | 22.2% | 3,722 | 85% | 7 to 1 |
| 21 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | $65,025 | $64,826 | 1,520 | 11.3% | 13,042 | 95% | 8 to 1 |
| 148 | Chapman University Orange, CA | $64,984 | $39,868 | 1,350 | 65.4% | 9,760 | 82% | 12 to 1 |
| 45 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA | $64,980 | $28,840 | 1,440 | 25.9% | 7,692 | 88% | 10 to 1 |
| 255 | Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR | $64,828 | $19,800 | - | 78.5% | 3,504 | 75% | 12 to 1 |
| 18 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | $64,730 | $64,730 | 1,550 | 6.4% | 30,210 | 94% | 6 to 1 |
| 51 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA | $64,500 | - | 1,340 | 17.6% | 3,126 | 87% | 9 to 1 |
| 174 | Fordham University Bronx, NY | $64,470 | $26,752 | 1,410 | 59.3% | 16,150 | 82% | 14 to 1 |
| 34 | Emory University Atlanta, GA | $64,280 | $48,750 | 1,520 | 10.7% | 15,175 | 91% | 10 to 1 |
| 77 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | $64,078 | $64,054 | 1,450 | 63.5% | 7,040 | 84% | 14 to 1 |
| 127 | Providence College Providence, RI | $63,550 | $13,440 | 1,330 | 50.9% | 4,666 | 86% | 11 to 1 |
| 55 | Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ | $63,462 | $44,494 | 1,440 | 47.6% | 8,469 | 87% | 11 to 1 |
| 44 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | $63,081 | $57,776 | 1,460 | 15.6% | 52,855 | 93% | 11 to 1 |
| 25 | New York University New York, NY | $62,796 | $42,726 | 1,520 | 9.2% | 56,832 | 88% | 8 to 1 |
| 5 | Princeton University Princeton, NJ | $62,688 | $65,936 | 1,550 | 4.6% | 9,137 | 98% | 5 to 1 |
| 54 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | $62,616 | $46,870 | 1,400 | 18.9% | 19,852 | 84% | 11 to 1 |
| 82 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | $62,412 | $39,261 | 1,340 | 79.4% | 21,153 | 78% | 9 to 1 |
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | $62,396 | $62,396 | 1,560 | 4.6% | 11,886 | 96% | 3 to 1 |
| 107 | Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA | $61,867 | $23,172 | 1,350 | 45.1% | 10,179 | 79% | 10 to 1 |
| 2 | Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY | $61,845 | $40,372 | 1,280 | 73.3% | 5,356 | 74% | 9 to 1 |
| 149 | Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX | $61,740 | $38,658 | 1,250 | 44.5% | 12,938 | 86% | 14 to 1 |
| 2 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | $61,676 | $57,248 | 1,550 | 3.7% | 30,259 | 98% | 7 to 1 |
| 48 | University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA | $61,591 | $37,628 | 1,480 | 16.8% | 26,409 | 96% | 15 to 1 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA | $61,500 | - | - | - | 5,472 | 41% | 31 to 1 |
| 123 | University of Denver Denver, CO | $61,398 | $42,173 | 1,320 | 77.8% | 12,813 | 76% | 9 to 1 |
| 61 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA | $61,293 | $31,694 | 1,420 | 48.0% | 9,728 | 88% | 11 to 1 |
| 15 | Rice University Houston, TX | $61,247 | $57,030 | 1,550 | 8.0% | 8,961 | 95% | 6 to 1 |
| 68 | Bentley University Waltham, MA | $61,000 | $46,920 | 1,350 | 45.1% | 5,333 | 87% | 12 to 1 |
| 187 | University of Redlands Redlands, CA | $60,878 | $25,172 | 1,240 | 82.7% | 3,087 | 67% | 10 to 1 |
| 95 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA | $60,765 | $29,040 | - | 60.2% | 7,584 | 90% | 13 to 1 |
| 240 | Rollins College Winter Park, FL | $60,580 | $22,742 | 1,260 | 47.5% | 3,046 | 75% | 12 to 1 |
| 208 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | $60,522 | $29,960 | 1,290 | 61.7% | 8,913 | 70% | 11 to 1 |
| 368 | St Olaf College Northfield, MN | $59,760 | - | 1,380 | 48.3% | 3,124 | 84% | 11 to 1 |
| 131 | University of San Diego San Diego, CA | $59,486 | $31,240 | - | 52.4% | 9,714 | 84% | 13 to 1 |
| 343 | Clarkson University Potsdam, NY | $59,398 | $36,856 | 1,300 | 77.4% | 3,348 | 75% | 13 to 1 |
| 103 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY | $59,210 | $60,052 | 1,370 | 66.9% | 17,098 | 70% | 13 to 1 |
| 85 | American University Washington, DC | $58,771 | $36,754 | 1,370 | 62.0% | 12,321 | 75% | 10 to 1 |
| 536 | The New School New York, NY | $58,730 | $44,423 | - | 63.5% | 9,068 | 69% | 9 to 1 |
| 294 | Clark University Worcester, MA | $58,467 | $50,975 | 1,358 | 39.5% | 3,925 | 77% | 8 to 1 |
| 99 | Fairfield University Fairfield, CT | $58,400 | $21,448 | 1,320 | 33.3% | 6,864 | 84% | 12 to 1 |
| 253 | The Catholic University of America Washington, DC | $58,378 | $25,570 | - | 82.8% | 5,243 | 79% | 11 to 1 |
| 488 | University of Portland Portland, OR | $58,100 | $27,000 | 1,290 | 89.2% | 3,285 | 80% | 9 to 1 |
| 179 | Baylor University Waco, TX | $58,100 | $43,578 | 1,300 | 51.3% | 20,626 | 80% | 15 to 1 |
| 513 | Hofstra University Hempstead, NY | $57,660 | $31,120 | 1,310 | 68.1% | 10,685 | 69% | 13 to 1 |
| 242 | Stetson University DeLand, FL | $57,410 | $18,176 | 1,155 | 71.6% | 3,775 | 62% | 10 to 1 |
| 4 | Babson College Wellesley, MA | $57,152 | $54,600 | 1,460 | 17.1% | 3,932 | 93% | 15 to 1 |
| 245 | Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD | $57,150 | $20,070 | 1,270 | 75.5% | 4,897 | 79% | 12 to 1 |
| 87 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA | $57,080 | $55,452 | 1,345 | 71.3% | 6,944 | 69% | 13 to 1 |
| 233 | Emerson College Boston, MA | $57,056 | $35,382 | 1,340 | 51.3% | 5,263 | 77% | 14 to 1 |
| 172 | Seattle University Seattle, WA | $56,721 | $24,216 | 1,310 | 76.9% | 7,189 | 76% | 10 to 1 |
| 328 | Pacific University Forest Grove, OR | $56,374 | $39,938 | 1,130 | 89.6% | 3,427 | 67% | 10 to 1 |
| 111 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO | $55,760 | $25,590 | 1,305 | 75.0% | 17,059 | 80% | 9 to 1 |
| 836 | Widener University Chester, PA | $55,730 | $28,004 | 1,180 | 70.9% | 5,713 | 68% | 11 to 1 |
| 335 | Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT | $55,480 | $19,140 | 1,230 | 72.2% | 9,424 | 76% | 12 to 1 |
| 213 | Gonzaga University Spokane, WA | $55,480 | $21,987 | 1,290 | 81.7% | 7,470 | 86% | 12 to 1 |
| 5 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | $54,623 | $49,649 | - | 77.5% | 3,394 | 67% | 10 to 1 |
| 155 | University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN | $54,398 | $21,151 | 1,345 | 85.4% | 9,410 | 76% | 14 to 1 |
| 775 | Merrimack College North Andover, MA | $53,962 | $36,800 | - | 70.0% | 5,862 | 70% | 13 to 1 |
| 184 | University of Scranton Scranton, PA | $53,777 | $11,630 | 1,230 | 81.2% | 4,724 | 80% | 11 to 1 |
| 164 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | $53,710 | $21,912 | 1,260 | 81.6% | 17,384 | 73% | 13 to 1 |
| 144 | St. John's University-New York Queens, NY | $53,529 | $36,227 | 1,240 | 83.4% | 19,389 | 66% | 16 to 1 |
| 724 | Pace University New York, NY | $53,510 | $30,770 | 1,260 | 75.9% | 13,634 | 60% | 14 to 1 |
| 453 | Manhattan University Riverdale, NY | $53,400 | $25,485 | 1,275 | 78.9% | 3,225 | 64% | 15 to 1 |
| 170 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | $53,260 | $20,048 | 1,250 | 88.8% | 7,159 | 79% | 11 to 1 |
| 599 | Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ | $53,170 | $37,470 | 1,310 | 73.3% | 9,571 | 69% | 14 to 1 |
| 151 | Bryant University Smithfield, RI | $52,677 | $49,860 | 1,260 | 65.5% | 3,636 | 80% | 13 to 1 |