Most families can’t afford the “sticker price” of a college, and with good reason: college costs are continually rising.
(By the way, if you are interested in going deeper on multiple elements of paying for college and winning scholarships, now would be a great time to check out our “Winning College Scholarships for High Schoolers” Video Course at Udemy.com)
Although many people assume that private colleges are unaffordable because their sticker prices are much higher, the opposite is often true. Private schools tend to have fewer students and wealthier, more engaged alumni who donate big and donate often, allowing them to offer very generous need-based aid.
The following is a list of 62 colleges that report meeting the full financial need of their students.
Full financial need is determined by the EFC (estimated family contribution) based on parental income. This is referred to as “need-based” aid. The 62 colleges on this list report offering the full amount of need-based aid.
Notice that this list only includes a few public schools, such as UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia. Most of the colleges with the best need-based financial aid are private colleges.
Colleges and Universities That Meet Full Financial Need
| School name (state) | U.S. News rank and category |
|---|---|
| Amherst College (MA) | 2, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Amridge University (AL) | RNP, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Barnard College (NY) | 29 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Bates College (ME) | 25 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Boston College | 30 (tie), National Universities |
| Bowdoin College (ME) | 4 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Brown University (RI) | 14, National Universities |
| Bryn Mawr College (PA) | 25 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| California Institute of Technology | 10 (tie), National Universities |
| Carleton College (MN) | 8, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Claremont McKenna College (CA) | 9 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Colby College (ME) | 19 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Colgate University (NY) | 19 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| College of the Holy Cross (MA) | 32 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Colorado College | 25 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Columbia University (NY) | 4 (tie), National Universities |
| Connecticut College | 48 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Cornell University (NY) | 15 (tie), National Universities |
| Dartmouth College (NH) | 12 (tie), National Universities |
| Davidson College (NC) | 9 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Duke University (NC) | 8, National Universities |
| Franklin and Marshall College (PA) | 40 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Georgetown University (DC) | 21 (tie), National Universities |
| Grinnell College (IA) | 19 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Hamilton College (NY) | 14 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Harvard University (MA) | 2, National Universities |
| Haverford College (PA) | 12 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Macalester College (MN) | 23 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 7, National Universities |
| Middlebury College (VT) | 4 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Mount Holyoke College (MA) | 35, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Northwestern University (IL) | 12 (tie), National Universities |
| Oberlin College (OH) | 23 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Occidental College (CA) | 43 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Pitzer College (CA) | 36, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Pomona College (CA) | 4 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Princeton University (NJ) | 1, National Universities |
| Rice University (TX) | 18 (tie), National Universities |
| Salem College (NC) | 136 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Scripps College (CA) | 29 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Smith College (MA) | 14 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Soka University of America (CA) | 45 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Stanford University (CA) | 4 (tie), National Universities |
| Swarthmore College (PA) | 3, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Thomas Aquinas College (CA) | 82 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Trinity College (CT) | 43 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Tufts University (MA) | 27 (tie), National Universities |
| University of Chicago | 4 (tie), National Universities |
| University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill | 30 (tie), National Universities |
| University of Notre Dame (IN) | 18 (tie), National Universities |
| University of Pennsylvania | 9, National Universities |
| University of Richmond (VA) | 32 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| University of Southern California | 23 (tie), National Universities |
| University of Virginia | 26, National Universities |
| Vanderbilt University (TN) | 15 (tie), National Universities |
| Vassar College (NY) | 12 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Washington and Lee University (VA) | 14 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 15 (tie), National Universities |
| Wellesley College (MA) | 4 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Wesleyan University (CT) | 14 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Williams College (MA) | 1, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Yale University (CT) | 3, National Universities |
Data from U.S. News and World Report
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