Most Expensive College in the US (2005)

This post has been archived, for more recent information please see America’s Most Expensive Colleges

Tuition is always thought of as expensive but degrees are often an investment that pays in the long run. But when looking at figures for the most expensive colleges in the United States, it is easy to see that some universities make one incur many more costs. One would think expensive tuitions would be a deterrent to students wishing to undertake higher education, and only children of rich parents would go to the most expensive colleges in the US, but this may not be so. Many schools set tuition prices to maximize grant money and then use financial aid to set the ‘real’ tuition.

Another reason advertised tuition prices are on the rise is that being one of the most expensive colleges carries prestige, especially at top schools, and huge scholarships are a powerful tool to attract students. Private schools use this strategy of percieved value, being a more expensive school, to make people think the school has a lot to offer. Being one of the most expensive colleges lets the school charge wealthier students more and use the money for extra aid to low-income students.

We have found the most expensive college and most expensive unversity numbers for you to view below representing the 2004-05 costs gathered by the College Board. Numbers are calculated from tuition and required fees associated with first-time, full-time undergraduates at four-year undergraduate colleges and universities that award at least half their baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts fields and are based on a nine-month academic year of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours. Prices used for public colleges and universities only consider in-state residents.

Most expensive private colleges or universities:

1. Sarah Lawrence College — Bronxville, N.Y. $32,416
2. Kenyon College — Gambier, Ohio $32,170
3. Trinity College — Hartford, Conn. $31,940
4. George Washington University — Washington. $31,710
5. Hamilton College — Clinton, N.Y. $31,700
6. Bowdoin College — Brunswick, Maine $31,656
7. Wesleyan University — Middletown, Conn. $31,650
8. Columbia University — New York $31,472
9. Colgate University — Hamilton, N.Y. $31,440
10. Pitzer College - Claremont, Calif. $31,438

Most expensive public colleges or universities:

1. Penn State University — University Park, Pa. $10,856
2. University of Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh $10,830
3. University of Vermont — Burlington, Vt. $10,226
4. University of New Hampshire — Durham, N.H. $9,226
5. New Jersey Institute of Technology — Newark, N.J. $9,180
6. Temple University — Philadelphia, Pa. $9,102
7. University of Massachusetts — Amherst, Mass. $9,008
8. Rutgers University — New Brunswick, N.J. $8,564
9. University of Cincinnati — Cincinnati $8,379
10. Rutgers University — Newark, N.J. $8,209

Source: College Board

Related
Most Expensive College Town in the US