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The 30 most expensive colleges in the US in 2026, ranked
The University of Chicago has the highest tuition and fees at $79,395 for the 2026-27 academic year.Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe cost of a college education can often deter prospective students.The annual cost of attending some private colleges and universities has surpassed six figures.Harvey Mudd College is the most expensive US college in 2026, costing $102,312 a year to attend.College can be a life-changing choice … and a lifelong investment.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.While some Americans are pushing back on the rising costs of higher education, others are coughing up more money — or taking out more loans — 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 $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 additional expenses increases that number to an average of $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.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 2026-2027 school year.Columbia University, which ranked 12th in 2025, was excluded from this ranking because the school has not released its official cost of attendance as of May 27.See how much it costs to attend the 30 most expensive schools in the US in 2026.30. Hamilton CollegePatrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty ImagesLocation: Clinton, New YorkTuition and fees: $75,960Room and board: $19,29029. Colby CollegeFeng Cheng/ShutterstockLocation: Waterville, MaineTuition and fees: $75,790Room and board: $19,48028. Boston UniversityWangkun Jia/ShutterstockLocation: BostonTuition and fees: $74,594Room and board: $20,74027. Bowdoin CollegeAndrew Dale/ShutterstockLocation: Brunswick, MaineTuition and fees: $74,968Room and board: $20,43226. Pomona CollegeSandra Foyt/ShutterstockLocation: Claremont, CaliforniaTuition and fees: $72,080Room and board: $23,59025. Pepperdine UniversityCSNafzger/ShutterstockLocation: Malibu, CaliforniaTuition and fees: $75,202Room and board: $20,49024. Swarthmore CollegeSpiroview Inc/ShutterstockLocation: Swarthmore, PennsylvaniaTuition and fees: $73,204Room and board: $22,56623. Dartmouth CollegeEdward Fielding/ShutterstockLocation: Hanover, New HampshireTuition and fees: $74,123Room and board: $21,77822. Williams Collegepics721/ShutterstockLocation: Williamstown, MassachusettsTuition and fees: $76,640Room and board: $19,32021. Northwestern Universitypics721/ShutterstockLocation: Evanston, IllinoisTuition and fees: $73,062Room and board: $22,94120. Wellesley CollegeWangkun Jia/ShutterstockLocation: Wellesley, MassachusettsTuition and fees: $72,930Room and board: $23,20619. Cornell UniversityAmy Lutz/ShutterstockLocation: Ithaca, New YorkTuition and fees: $74,970Room and board: $21,34818. Amherst CollegeMark Yarchoan/ShutterstockLocation: Amherst, MassachusettsTuition and fees: $76,040Room and board: $20,32017. Haverford Collegeaimintang/Getty Images/iStockphotoLocation: Haverford, PennsylvaniaTuition and fees: $75,482Room and board: $20,95916. Boston CollegeFeng Cheng/ShutterstockLocation: Newton, MassachusettsTuition and fees: $77,644Room and board: $18,83415. Trinity Collegedashikin/ShutterstockLocation: Hartford, ConnecticutTuition and fees: $76,150Room and board: $20,33014. Duke UniversityJay Yuan/ShutterstockLocation: Durham, North CarolinaTuition: $73,740Fees, room, and board: $22,85713. Colgate UniversityStephen B. Goodwin/ShutterstockLocation: Hamilton, New YorkTuition and fees: $77,290Room and board: $19,35612. Vanderbilt UniversityGrindstone Media Group/ShutterstockLocation: NashvilleTuition and fees: $73,206Room and board: $23,69011. Georgetown UniversityOrhan Cam/ShutterstockLocation: Washington, DCTuition and fees: $74,732Room and board: $22,18010. Vassar CollegeBrian Logan Photography/ShutterstockLocation: Poughkeepsie, New YorkTuition and fees: $77,160Room and board: $19,8009. Washington University in St. LouisKit Leong/ShutterstockLocation: St. LouisTuition and fees: $72,722Room and board: $24,2728. Brown Universityiroqin/ShutterstockLocation: Providence, Rhode IslandTuition and fees: $77,552Room and board: $19,4647. Tufts UniversityAshwin Swar/ShutterstockLocation: Medford, MassachusettsTuition and fees: $76,558Room and board: $20,5946. Wesleyan UniversityVineyard Perspective/ShutterstockLocation: Middletown, ConnecticutTuition and fees: $76,620Room and board: $21,6605. Barnard CollegeHere Now/ShutterstockLocation: New York CityTuition and fees: $75,592Room and board: $23,2584. Claremont McKenna CollegeKatherine Carey/ShutterstockLocation: Claremont, CaliforniaTuition and fees: $75,720Room and board: $23,2703. University of Southern CaliforniaWangkun Jia/ShutterstockLocation: Los AngelesTuition and fees: $77,336Room and board: $21,9522. University of ChicagoJacob Boomsma/Getty ImagesLocation: ChicagoTuition and fees: $79,395Room and board: $21,4141. Harvey Mudd CollegeJim Brown/Getty ImagesLocation: Claremont, CaliforniaTuition and fees: $77,530Room and board: $24,782Editor's note: This story was originally published in November 2025. It was most recently updated in May 2026 to reflect pricing for the 2026-2027 school year.Read the original article on Business Insider
