15 US colleges now cost more than $100,000 a year. See the list, ranked by cost of attendance.
A growing number of US colleges now have an annual cost of attendance exceeding $100,000, driven by tuition, housing, and local cost-of-living factors. While sticker prices are rising, many institutions offer significant financial aid packages to offset these costs for eligible students.
Why it matters
The rising cost of higher education in the US is a major economic concern that impacts student debt levels and accessibility to elite institutions.
The University of Chicago has the third-highest cost of attendance in the US. Huaxia Zhou/Getty Images The cost of attending over a dozen US schools now exceeds $100,000 yearly. Some of the costliest schools in the country also offer generous financial aid packages. College costs are often driven by the local cost of living in cities like New York or Los Angeles. College tuition costs in the US are reaching new heights. Today, a bachelor's degree at some of America's top schools can cost upward of nearly half a million dollars over four years. And the trend doesn't seem to be slowing down. In June, The Princeton Review collected a list of 15 US colleges with sticker prices exceeding $100,000 annually for their 2026 Best Colleges release.
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