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College can be a life-changing choice — and a lifelong investment.
2026-09-14
When deciding where to apply to college, students have to contend with a factor beyond the prospect of education and careers: the sometimes astronomical cost of college tuition.
Today, over 42.8 million Americans owe a balance on their student loans, and the outstanding federal student loan balance totals nearly $1.7 trillion, according to the Education Data Initiative.
Last year, the College Board reported that the average price of tuition and fees for undergraduate students at private nonprofit four-year institutions was $45,000 for the 2025-2026 school year, while the average price at a public four-year in-state school was $11,950.
That's just the start, however. When including housing and food costs, full-time students who live on campus at private four-year universities and colleges pay $60,920 a year. Adding the costs of books, transportation, and other expenses raises the average to $65,470, the College Board reported.
We've listed the most expensive colleges in the US, from small liberal arts schools to Ivy League universities, and ranked them based on the annual cost of tuition, fees, room, and board, as reported by the institutions.
The totals do not include other potential costs, such as books, transportation, and health insurance.
The costs of housing and food can look different for students who live at home with family or in off-campus housing, but they help provide a full picture of what college expenses can be, especially for first-year students, who are sometimes required to live on campus and opt into a school meal plan.
See how much it costs to attend the 35 most expensive schools in the US in 2026.
35. New York University
NYU has a combined cost of tuition, fees, room, and board of $95,014 for the 2026-27 school year.littleny/Getty Images
Location: New York City
Tuition and fees: $68,576
Room and board: $26,438
Total cost: $95,014
34. Bates College
Bates College has an estimated cost of attendance of $95,035 for the 2026-27 school year.Jennifer Yakey-Ault/Getty Images
Location: Lewiston, Maine
Tuition and fees: $74,235
Room and board: $20,800
Total cost: $95,035
33. Hamilton College
Hamilton College was among the top 30 most expensive colleges in the US for 2026.Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images
Location: Clinton, New York
Tuition and fees: $75,960
Room and board: $19,290
Total cost: $95,250
32. Colby College
Colby College costs an estimated $95,270 annually to attend.Feng Cheng/Shutterstock
Location: Waterville, Maine
Tuition and fees: $75,790
Room and board: $19,480
Total cost: $95,270
31. Boston University
Boston University was among the most expensive universities in the US in 2026.Elijah-Lovkoff/Getty Images
Location: Boston
Tuition and fees: $74,594
Room and board: $20,740
Total cost: $95,334
30. Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College has an estimated attendance cost of $95,400 in 2026.Andrew Dale/Shutterstock
Location: Brunswick, Maine
Tuition and fees: $75,008
Room and board: $20,432
Total cost: $95,440
29. Pomona College
Pomona College's estimated cost of attendance for 2026 is $95,670.Sandra Foyt/Shutterstock
Location: Claremont, California
Tuition and fees: $72,080
Room and board: $23,590
Total cost: $95,670
28. Tulane
Tulane University has an estimated cost of attendance of $95,672 in 2026.Laser1987/Getty Images
Location: New Orleans
Tuition and fees: $75,134
Room and board: $20,538
Total cost: $95,672
27. Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, charges $75,202 in tuition and fees for the 2026 academic year.christiannafzger/Getty Images
Location: Malibu, California
Tuition and fees: $75,202
Room and board: $20,490
Total cost: $95,672
26. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College ranks within the top 25 most expensive US colleges in 2026.Spiroview Inc/Shutterstock
Location: Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Tuition and fees: $73,204
Room and board: $22,566
Total cost: $95,770
25. Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College costs an estimated $95,901 to attend in 2026.Edward Fielding/Shutterstock
Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
Tuition and fees: $74,123
Room and board: $21,778
Total cost: $95,901
24. Williams College
Williams College has an estimated attendance cost of $95,960 in 2026.pics721/Shutterstock
Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts
Tuition and fees: $76,640
Room and board: $19,320
Total cost: $95,960
23. Northwestern University
Northwestern University's estimated cost of attendance for the 2026-2027 school year is $96,003.pics721/Shutterstock
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Tuition and fees: $73,062
Room and board: $22,941
Total cost: $96,003
22. Wellesley College
Wellesley College has an estimated yearly cost of attendance of $96,136.Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
Tuition and fees: $72,930
Room and board: $23,206
Total cost: $96,136
21. Cornell University
Cornell University has an estimated yearly cost of attendance of $96,318.Amy Lutz/Shutterstock
Location: Ithaca, New York
Tuition and fees: $74,970
Room and board: $21,348
Total cost: $96,318
20. Amherst College
Amherst College is one of the most expensive college in the US in 2026.Mark Yarchoan/Shutterstock
Location: Amherst, Massachusetts
Tuition and fees: $76,040
Room and board: $20,320
Total cost: $96,360
19. Haverford College
Haverford College's estimated total cost of attendance is $96,441.aimintang/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Location: Haverford, Pennsylvania
Tuition and fees: $75,482
Room and board: $20,959
Total cost: $96,441
18. Boston College
Boston College was among the top 20 most expensive colleges in the US in 2026.Feng Cheng/Shutterstock
Location: Newton, Massachusetts
Tuition and fees: $77,644
Room and board: $18,834
Total cost: $96,478
17. Trinity College
The tuition and fees for Trinity College for the academic year 2026-27 total $76,150.dashikin/Shutterstock
Location: Hartford, Connecticut
Tuition and fees: $76,150
Room and board: $20,330
Total cost: $96,480
16. Columbia University
Columbia University has an estimated cost of attendance of $96,610 for the 2026-27 school year.hapabapa/Getty Images
Location: New York City
Tuition and fees: $76,960
Room and board: $19,650
Total cost: $96,610
15. Colgate University
Colgate University's estimated total cost of attendance is $96,646.Stephen B. Goodwin/Shutterstock
Location: Hamilton, New York
Tuition and fees: $77,290
Room and board: $19,356
Total cost: $96,646
14. Fordham University
Fordham University has an estimated cost of attendance of $96,754 for the 2026-27 school year.wdstock/Getty Images
Location: New York City
Tuition and fees: $70,949
Room and board: $25,805
Total cost: $96,754
13. Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is among the most expensive school in the US in 2026.Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock
Location: Nashville
Tuition and fees: $73,206
Room and board: $23,690
Total cost: $96,896
12. Georgetown University
Georgetown University's estimated annual cost of attending is $96,912.Orhan Cam/Shutterstock
Location: Washington, DC
Tuition and fees: $74,732
Room and board: $22,180
Total cost: $96,912
11. Vassar College
Vassar College is the 10th-most expensive school in the US.Brian Logan Photography/Shutterstock
Location: Poughkeepsie, New York
Tuition and fees: $77,160
Room and board: $19,800
Total cost: $96,960
10. Washington University in St. Louis
The estimated annual cost of attending Washington University in St. Louis is $96,994.Kit Leong/Shutterstock
Location: St. Louis
Tuition and fees: $72,722
Room and board: $24,272
Total cost: $96,994
9. Brown University
Brown University's estimated total cost of attendance is $97,116, excluding books and transportation.iroqin/Shutterstock
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Tuition and fees: $77,652
Room and board: $19,464
Total cost: $97,116
8. Tufts University
Tufts University was in the top 10 most expensive universities in the US in 2026.Ashwin Swar/Shutterstock
Location: Medford, Massachusetts
Tuition and fees: $76,558
Room and board: $20,594
Total cost: $97,152
7. Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University's estimated annual cost of attending is $98,280.Vineyard Perspective/Shutterstock
Location: Middletown, Connecticut
Tuition and fees: $76,620
Room and board: $21,660
Total cost: $98,280
6. Duke University
Duke University has an estimated annual cost of attending of $98,788 in the 2026-27 school year.Jay Yuan/Shutterstock
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Tuition and fees: $76,759
Room, and board: $22,029
Total cost: $98,788
5. University of Southern California
The University of Southern California was the most expensive college in the US in 2025. The estimated annual cost of attending in 2026 is $99,288.Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
Location: Los Angeles
Tuition and fees: $77,336
Room and board: $21,952
Total cost: $99,288
4. Barnard College
Barnard College is one of the most expensive US colleges in 2026.Here Now/Shutterstock
Location: New York City
Tuition and fees: $76,142
Room and board: $23,258
Total cost: $99,400
3. Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College's estimated annual cost of attending is $99,490.Katherine Carey/Shutterstock
Location: Claremont, California
Tuition and fees: $76,220
Room and board: $23,270
Total cost: $99,490
2. University of Chicago
The University of Chicago's estimated annual cost of attending is $100,809. It has the highest tuition and fees among all colleges and universities in the US.Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images
Location: Chicago
Tuition and fees: $79,395
Room and board: $21,414
Total cost: $100,809
1. Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College's estimated annual cost of attendance is $102,312.Jim Brown/Getty Images
Location: Claremont, California
Tuition and fees: $77,530
Room and board: $24,782
Total cost: $102,312
Editor's note: This story was originally published in November 2025. It was most recently updated in September 2026 to reflect pricing for the 2026-2027 school year.
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Kristine Villarroel is a reporter on Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team.Her reporting often turns data into accessible stories about how money, education, policy, and place shape Americans’ lives. She covers stories on college costs and degree outcomes, state-by-state comparisons, public officials’ salaries, the rising cost of living, travel, food, and real estate.She has previously worked writing about culture, entertainment, music, and tech. Her work has been featured on Teen Vogue and Wired. She graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. There, she worked as editor of The Independent Florida Alligator. Email Villarroel at kvillarroel@insider.com and follow her on X @ktnedelvalle
