I’ll be blunt. It’s not worth it.
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.
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 While interesting, the tuition figures were a bit outdated as they were taken from the 2009-2010 school year.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. Check back or sign up to receive our latest articles by email to be notified when this is available.
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.
| 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 |
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.
| 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 |
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.
| 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 |
Data compiled by CampusGrotto.com
Like a who’s who of Brainwashed U.
A little gem that is overlooked and tuition free: Cooper Union - New York.
It’s amazing, colleges (many of them supported by State taxpayers) are increasing tuition at a rate of 7-9% every year - every single year.
The land is set aside for education, taxes are relatively low, most of the state colleges have building nearing 100 years of age - yet the Professors and other teacher’s have wages that continue to escalate.
Have you ever heard of a state college, or any college for that matter “Down-sizing” or hiring “H1-B” Visa holders to drive teacher salaries down?
I’ve never had a job that had the stability, nor the wage increases that are present in many colleges and universities - perhaps they should be ran like a business. When students realize that this money has to be re-paid; and parents balk at the outrageoius tuitions - this house of cards is going to come tumbling down. And, if recent history is any indicator - our tax dollars will be used to build that house of cards back up.
Two years of a community college then two years at a technical college.
89. MIT $52,507
This alumnus proposes that if you get a 4-year degree from MIT you’ll get your money back over time. Especially since a) if your family makes < $75K/year tuition is waived, b) 69% of all students get financial aid and c) the average financial aid package there is ~ $39K.
89. MIT $52,507
This alumnus proposes that if you get a 4-year degree from MIT you’ll get your money back over time. Especially since a) if your family makes < $75K/year tuition is waived, b) 69% of all students get financial aid and c) the average financial aid package there is ~ $39K.
If you haven't yet seen 'College Conspiracy' we highly recomment that you watch it immediately by going to: http://inflation.us/videos.html
College professors ain’t cheap and most of them aren’t worth what they’re paid.
I seem to remember reading an article about Sarah Lawrence a few days ago - I think they were busing people to the Wall Street Idiot Protests or such.
Americans should be boycotting these moronic colleges. They are just too worried about their kids, having swallowed the Kool aid. It’s a corrupt system.
I figured that out when I was a freshman, and was told that it would cost twice as much for “matriculated” credits than for non matriculated ones.
Yes, if you want a degree, you must pay twice as much. So it really isn’t about the education, is it?
I went to one of them. No way is it worth this kind of money.
In my day, tuition, room and board was well under 5K.
Thanks for posting this thread. This is an excellent documentation for the primary reason to reduce the Taxpayer-Funded Student Loan Program 50 % per year until the checks and balances of a free loan market eliminate the need for tax-supported loans to any students.
Since the 1960’s, Federal Aid to Education has increased to US$ 500,000,000,000.00 per year. The present status is that 46 % of US teachers leave after 5 years, and student scores and skill levels continue to decrease.
The effect of US Federal Aid to Education has thus achieved the opposite of the past, current and future stated goals of its proponents.
Success leaves tracks, and so does US Government failure. I call it “The touch of the Fecal Federal Finger.”
And to think I went to college for $500 per year, including books, paid by the GI Bill. A 100 times increase in 60 years. Investigate the Fed.
This is one wacky list. Looking the Philadelphia area where I live, I see Drexel is 14th most expensive while Penn is 50th. Seriously?
I’m a 1968 NYU grad. Went on a full academic scholarship. Back then, NYU was a pretty good school, but not in the top 50. I got into Columbia, but they offered about half the aid package..so I opted for NYU..I htin that tuition then was $40 a credit....now..it’s one big flat price...Greenwich Villiage was an incredibel place to live in the 60’s..sometimes, looking back, it’s amazing that I survive..
Six of the ten most expensive Unis in the USA are actively funding the Occupy Wall Street movement through student union/activity dues, and professors providing material and logistical support during their work hours and classroom instruction hours to the Occupation movement.
Average income for tenured professors at those schools (not sure about New School though) all are over $110k. Which by the way, makes these professors the working poor in Manhattan.
That’s what those tuition dollars are going towards.
Lets question WHY? college professors and faculty have to be paid exorbitant amounts of money to teach students they know will be in debt for years. Ask Elizabeth Warren the anti capitalist running for congress who is making 600,000 as a professor and demands the rich pay thier fair share. We are sending our kids and paying to have them brainwashed and programed to hate this country and it’s system to progress an agenda that is not our own.