Ranking: the 25 Most Expensive Colleges in the US in 2025

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6 months ago

2025-09-26T14:08:18Z

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Tuition at private US colleges is on the rise, reaching an average annual cost of $43,350 in 2024.
The yearly cost of attending some private colleges and universities is nearly six-figures.
The University of Southern California’s tuition and fees are the most expensive, at $75,162.

While some Americans are pushing back on higher education, others are coughing up more money than ever to attend some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges.

Last year, the College Board reported that the average price of tuition and fees for undergraduate students at private nonprofit four-year institutions was $43,350 for the 2024-2025 school year, while the average price at a public four-year in-state school was $11,610.

That’s just the start, however. When including the costs of housing and food, full-time students who live on-campus at private four-year universities and colleges pay $58,600 a year. Adding the costs of books, transportation, and additional expenses increases that number to an average of $62,990, the College Board reported.

We’ve listed the most expensive colleges in the US, from small liberal arts schools to Ivy League universities.

We ranked them based on the annual cost of tuition and fees.

We also included the estimated cost of housing and food listed by each school, although this total is not factored in to the ranking because it can often look different for students who live at home with family or in off-campus housing.

In creating this list, we used rankings from US News & World Report, The College Investor, and Best Colleges, which we confirmed using each school’s official tuition listings for the school year 2025-2026.

See how much it costs to attend the 25 most expensive schools in the US in 2025.

25. Reed College

Reed College was within the top 25 most expensive colleges in the US.

CK Foto/Shutterstock

reed college Portland, Oregon — Reed College was within the top 25 most expensive colleges in the US.

CK Foto/Shutterstock

Location: Portland, Oregon

Tuition and fees: $71,770

Room and board: $18,228

24. Tulane University

Tulane University had the 23rd-highest cost of tuition and fees in 2025.

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Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Tuition and fees: $71,998

Room and board: $19,630

23. Carleton College

Carleton College total estimated cost of attendance for 2025 is $90,462.

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Location: Northfield, Minnesota

Tuition and fees: $72,069

Room and board: $18,393

22. Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College was the 21st-most expensive college in the US in 2025.

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Location: Claremont, California

Tuition and fees: $72,120

Room and board: $22,190

21. Kenyon College

Kenyon College was among the top 20 most expensive colleges in the US for 2025.

Reuters

Location: Gambier, Ohio

Tuition and fees: $72,220

Room and board: $17,380

20. Cornell University

Cornell University has an estimated yearly cost of attendance of $92,844.

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Location: Ithaca, New York

Tuition and fees: $72,270

Room and board: $20,574

19. Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, has a yearly tuition of $71,525.

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Location: Malibu, California

Tuition and fees: $72,672

Room and board: $22,480

18. Colby College

Colby College costs an estimated $91,650 annually to attend.

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Location: Waterville, Maine

Tuition and fees: $72,910

Room and board: $18,740

17. Barnard College

Barnard College was the 17th-most expensive college in 2025.

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Location: New York City

Tuition and fees: $73,033

Room and board: $22,691

16. Wesleyan College

Wesleyan College’s tuition and fees total $73,128.

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Location: Middletown, Connecticut

Tuition and fees: $73,128

Room and board: $20,668

15. Duke University

Duke University has an estimated annual cost of attending of $94,157.

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Location: Durham, North Carolina

Tuition and fees: $73,172

Room and board: $20,985

14. Franklin and Marshall College

Franklin and Marshall College is in the top 15 most expensive colleges in the US in 2025.

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Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Tuition and fees: $73,210

Room and board: $16,936

13. Harvey Mudd College

Harvey Mudd College’s estimated annual cost of attendance is $96,784.

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Location: Claremont, California

Tuition and fees: $73,350

Room and board: $23,434

12. Columbia University

Columbia University is the 12th-most expensive college in the US.

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Location: New York City

Tuition and fees: $73,450

Room and board: $18,680

11. Colorado College

Colorado College’s tuition and fees total $73,566.

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Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Tuition and fees: $73,566

Room and board: $16,664

10. Haverford College

Haverford College costs an estimated $93,600 annually in tuition and fees and room and board.

Location: Haverford, Pennsylvania

Tuition and fees: $73,568

Room and board: $20,032

9. Trinity College

The tuition and fees for Trinity College for the academic year 2025-2026 total $73,590.

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Location: Hartford, Connecticut

Tuition and fees: $73,590

Room and board: $19,650

8. Tufts University

Tufts University was in the top 10 most expensive universities in the US in 2025.

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Location: Medford, Massachusetts

Tuition and fees: $73,616

Room and board: $19,566

7. Colgate University

Colgate University’s estimated total cost of attendance is $92,092.

Stephen B. Goodwin/Shutterstock

Location: Hamilton, New York

Tuition and fees: $73,646

Room and board: $18,446

6. Amherst College

Amherst College is the sixth-most expensive college in the US in 2025

Mark Yarchoan/Shutterstock

Location: Amherst, Massachusetts

Tuition and fees: $73,830

Room and board: $19,260

5. University of Chicago

The University of Chicago’s estimated annual cost of attending is $94,797.

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Location: Chicago

Tuition and fees: $73,962

Room and board: $20,835

4. Boston College

Boston College was among the top 5 most expensive colleges in the US in 2025.

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Location: Newton, Massachusetts

Tuition and fees: $74,224

Room and board: $18,284

3. Vassar College

Vassar College is the third-most expensive school in the US.

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Location: Poughkeepsie, New York

Tuition and fees: $74,265

Room and board: $19,055

2. Brown University

Brown University’s estimated total cost of attending is $93,164 without including books and transportation.

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Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Tuition and fees: $74,650

Room and board: $18,514

1. University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is the most expensive college in the US in 2025.

Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock

Location: Los Angeles

Tuition and fees: $75,162

Room and board: $20,907