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

2025-09-26T14:08:18Z

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 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 New Orleans, Louisiana — Tulane University had the 23rd-highest cost of tuition and fees in 2025.

Fotoluminate LLC/Shutterstock

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Tuition and fees: $71,998

Room and board: $19,630

23. Carleton College

Location: Northfield, Minnesota

Tuition and fees: $72,069

Room and board: $18,393

22. Claremont McKenna College

Location: Claremont, California

Tuition and fees: $72,120

Room and board: $22,190

21. Kenyon College

Raul Romero poses for a photo at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, U.S. in this handout photo taken August 19, 2018. Picture taken August 19, 2018. Raul Romero/Handout via REUTERS — 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 Ithaca, New York — Cornell University has an estimated yearly cost of attendance of $92,844.

Amy Lutz/Shutterstock

Location: Ithaca, New York

Tuition and fees: $72,270

Room and board: $20,574

19. Pepperdine University

Location: Malibu, California

Tuition and fees: $72,672

Room and board: $22,480

18. Colby College

Waterville, Maine colby university — Colby College costs an estimated $91,650 annually to attend.

Feng Cheng/Shutterstock

Location: Waterville, Maine

Tuition and fees: $72,910

Room and board: $18,740

17. Barnard College

Location: New York City

Tuition and fees: $73,033

Room and board: $22,691

16. Wesleyan College

Location: Middletown, Connecticut

Tuition and fees: $73,128

Room and board: $20,668

15. Duke University

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Tuition and fees: $73,172

Room and board: $20,985

14. Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania franklin and marshall college — Franklin and Marshall College is in the top 15 most expensive colleges in the US in 2025.

George Sheldon/Shutterstock

Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Tuition and fees: $73,210

Room and board: $16,936

13. Harvey Mudd College

Location: Claremont, California

Tuition and fees: $73,350

Room and board: $23,434

12. Columbia University

columbia university, new york — Columbia University is the 12th-most expensive college in the US.

Vivendo e Turistando/Shutterstock

Location: New York City

Tuition and fees: $73,450

Room and board: $18,680

11. Colorado College

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Tuition and fees: $73,566

Room and board: $16,664

10. Haverford College

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

John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

Location: Haverford, Pennsylvania

Tuition and fees: $73,568

Room and board: $20,032

9. Trinity College

Location: Hartford, Connecticut

Tuition and fees: $73,590

Room and board: $19,650

8. Tufts University

Location: Medford, Massachusetts

Tuition and fees: $73,616

Room and board: $19,566

7. Colgate University

colage university Hamilton, New York — 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

Location: Amherst, Massachusetts

Tuition and fees: $73,830

Room and board: $19,260

5. University of Chicago

Location: Chicago

Tuition and fees: $73,962

Room and board: $20,835

4. Boston College

boston college Newton, Massachusetts — Boston College was among the top 5 most expensive colleges in the US in 2025.

Feng Cheng/Shutterstock

Location: Newton, Massachusetts

Tuition and fees: $74,224

Room and board: $18,284

3. Vassar College

vassar college ny — Vassar College is the third-most expensive school in the US.

Brian Logan Photography/Shutterstock

Location: Poughkeepsie, New York

Tuition and fees: $74,265

Room and board: $19,055

2. Brown University

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Tuition and fees: $74,650

Room and board: $18,514

1. University of Southern California

library at the 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

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