Most Expensive US Colleges and Universities in 2026, Ranked

Most Expensive US Colleges and Universities in 2026, Ranked

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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 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

29. Colby College


Waterville, Maine colby university

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

28. Boston University


Boston University Marsh Plaza and Marsh Chapel aerial view at 735 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts MA, USA. Marsh Plaza and Chapel is the main building of Boston University.

Boston University was among the most expensive US universities in 2026.

Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock

Location: Boston

Tuition and fees: $74,594

Room and board: $20,740

27. Bowdoin College


Hubbard Hall building on Bowdoin College campus.

Bowdoin College has an estimated attendance cost of $95,400 in 2026.

Andrew Dale/Shutterstock

Location: Brunswick, Maine

Tuition and fees: $74,968

Room and board: $20,432

26. Pomona College


Claremont, California USA - March 30, 2017: The historic Carnegie Library at Pomona College houses Social Science offices and classrooms.

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

25. Pepperdine University


pepperdine university

Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, charges $75,202 in tuition and fees for the 2026 academic year.

CSNafzger/Shutterstock

Location: Malibu, California

Tuition and fees: $75,202

Room and board: $20,490

24. Swarthmore College


SWARTHMORE, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 2019: Swarthmore is one of the best small colleges in the United States, with a beautifully landscaped campus.

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

23. Dartmouth College


HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE JUNE, 25th: Dartmouth College Baker clock tower building, Hanover, New Hampshire on June 25th, 2015.

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

22. Williams College


Williamstown, MA. USA - October 8, 2021: Aerial view of the Thompson Memorial Chapel on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, MA.

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

21. Northwestern University


EVANSTON, IL — SEPTEMBER 9, 2021: Aerial view of Northwestern University and Lake Michigan with foreground beach and walking path.

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

20. Wellesley College


Aerial view of Wellesley College Tower Court in Wellesley, Massachusetts MA, USA.

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

19. Cornell University


cornell Ithaca, New York

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

18. Amherst College


Amherst College

Amherst College is the 18th-most expensive college in the US in 2026, with an estimated cost of attendance of $96,360.

Mark Yarchoan/Shutterstock

Location: Amherst, Massachusetts

Tuition and fees: $76,040

Room and board: $20,320

17. Haverford College


Chase Hall in Haverford College. Haverford College is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, USA, a suburb of Philadelhia.

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

16. Boston College


boston college Newton, Massachusetts

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

15. Trinity College


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

14. Duke University


duke university

Duke University has an estimated annual cost of attending of $96,597 in the 2026-27 school year.

Jay Yuan/Shutterstock

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Tuition: $73,740

Fees, room, and board: $22,857

13. Colgate University


colage university Hamilton, New York

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

12. Vanderbilt University


Aug 08, 2023-Nashville, TN: Aerial view of Vanderbilt University located in Nashville Tennessee

Vanderbilt University is the 12th-most expensive school in the US in 2026.

Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock

Location: Nashville

Tuition and fees: $73,206

Room and board: $23,690

11. Georgetown University


Georgetown University - Washington D.C. United States of America

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

10. Vassar College


vassar college ny

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

9. Washington University in St. Louis


Sunny view of the Brookings Hall of Washington University in St. Louis at Missouri

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

8. Brown University


brown university

Brown University’s estimated total cost of attendance is $97,016, excluding books and transportation.

iroqin/Shutterstock

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Tuition and fees: $77,552

Room and board: $19,464

7. Tufts University


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

6. Wesleyan University


wesleyan college

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

5. Barnard College


barnard college

Barnard College is the 5th-most expensive US college in 2026.

Here Now/Shutterstock

Location: New York City

Tuition and fees: $75,592

Room and board: $23,258

4. Claremont McKenna College


claremont mckenna college

Claremont McKenna College’s estimated annual cost of attending is $98,990.

Katherine Carey/Shutterstock

Location: Claremont, California

Tuition and fees: $75,720

Room and board: $23,270

3. University of Southern California


library at the 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

2. University of Chicago


Aerial View of a large University in the Chicago Neighborhood of Hyde Park

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

1. Harvey Mudd College


Fountain surrounded by Jacaranda trees at 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

Editor’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.

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