Some US colleges now cost over $100,000 a year. These are the 35 most expensive schools in the US, ranked.

The University of Chicago has the highest tuition and fees at $79,395 for the 2026-27 academic year. The 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Location: Lewiston, Maine Tuition and fees: $74,235 Room and board: $20,800 Total cost: $95,035 33. Hamilton College 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. Location: Waterville, Maine Tuition and fees: $75,790 Room and board: $19,480 Total cost: $95,270 31. Location: Boston Tuition and fees: $74,594 Room and board: $20,740 Total cost: $95,334 30. Location: Brunswick, Maine Tuition and fees: $75,008 Room and board: $20,432 Total cost: $95,440 29. 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. Location: New Orleans Tuition and fees: $75,134 Room and board: $20,538 Total cost: $95,672 27. Location: Malibu, California Tuition and fees: $75,202 Room and board: $20,490 Total cost: $95,672 26. Location: Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Tuition and fees: $73,204 Room and board: $22,566 Total cost: $95,770 25. Location: Hanover, New Hampshire Tuition and fees: $74,123 Room and board: $21,778 Total cost: $95,901 24. Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts Tuition and fees: $76,640 Room and board: $19,320 Total cost: $95,960 23. Location: Evanston, Illinois Tuition and fees: $73,062 Room and board: $22,941 Total cost: $96,003 22. Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts Tuition and fees: $72,930 Room and board: $23,206 Total cost: $96,136 21. Location: Ithaca, New York Tuition and fees: $74,970 Room and board: $21,348 Total cost: $96,318 20. Location: Amherst, Massachusetts Tuition and fees: $76,040 Room and board: $20,320 Total cost: $96,360 19. /iStockphoto Location: Haverford, Pennsylvania Tuition and fees: $75,482 Room and board: $20,959 Total cost: $96,441 18. Location: Newton, Massachusetts Tuition and fees: $77,644 Room and board: $18,834 Total cost: $96,478 17. Location: Hartford, Connecticut Tuition and fees: $76,150 Room and board: $20,330 Total cost: $96,480 16. Location: New York City Tuition and fees: $76,960 Room and board: $19,650 Total cost: $96,610 15. Colgate University Stephen B. Location: Hamilton, New York Tuition and fees: $77,290 Room and board: $19,356 Total cost: $96,646 14. Location: New York City Tuition and fees: $70,949 Room and board: $25,805 Total cost: $96,754 13. Vanderbilt Location: Nashville Tuition and fees: $73,206 Room and board: $23,690 Total cost: $96,896 12. Location: Washington, DC Tuition and fees: $74,732 Room and board: $22,180 Total cost: $96,912 11. Vassar Location: Poughkeepsie, New York Tuition and fees: $77,160 Room and board: $19,800 Total cost: $96,960 10. Washington University in St. Location: St. Louis Tuition and fees: $72,722 Room and board: $24,272 Total cost: $96,994 9. Location: Providence, Rhode Island Tuition and fees: $77,652 Room and board: $19,464 Total cost: $97,116 8. Location: Medford, Massachusetts Tuition and fees: $76,558 Room and board: $20,594 Total cost: $97,152 7. Location: Middletown, Connecticut Tuition and fees: $76,620 Room and board: $21,660 Total cost: $98,280 6. Location: Durham, North Carolina Tuition and fees: $76,759 Room, and board: $22,029 Total cost: $98,788 5. University of Location: Los Angeles Tuition and fees: $77,336 Room and board: $21,952 Total cost: $99,288 4. Location: New York City Tuition and fees: $76,142 Room and board: $23,258 Total cost: $99,400 3. Claremont Location: Claremont, California Tuition and fees: $76,220 Room and board: $23,270 Total cost: $99,490 2. University Location: Chicago Tuition and fees: $79,395 Room and board: $21,414 Total cost: $100,809 1. Harvey 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. Read the original article on Business Insider

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