10 Least Expensive Private Colleges
Strategizing a way to effectively finance a college education can be even more challenging than selecting a school to attend. While many private colleges and universities may have high sticker prices, freshmen that began attending a private institution in fall 2010 received a nearly 50 percent tuition discount, on average, through financial grants, according to a recent survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
[Learn why students shouldn't believe a college sticker price.]
While some private colleges help students manage pricey tuition and fees, other institutions simply provide a more manageable price from the start. Among the 817 ranked private colleges--and schools whose rank is not published--that provided data to U.S. News in a 2010 survey of undergraduate programs, the average cost of tuition and required fees for the 2010-11 school year was $26,079. Comparatively, the 10 least expensive private colleges in the country each cost an average of $7,200 annually, for tuition and fees. Note, though, that this does not include room and board costs at these institutions.
[Discover 10 private schools with the most expensive tuition and fees.]
Berea College in Kentucky is the least expensive private college in the country, offering students a tuition and fees package of $910. Relying on endowment income, gifts, and financial aid, Berea does not charge its students tuition. In exchange, students are required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week in campus-approved jobs.
Among the top 10 schools on the list, five are ranked within U.S. News's Best Colleges rankings. Below is a list of the 10 private colleges that offer the least expensive tuition and fees (this figure does not include room and board, books, and other miscellaneous costs):
School Name | Tuition & Fees (2010-11) | U.S. News Rank & Category |
|---|---|---|
$910 | 67, National Liberal Arts Colleges | |
$4,330 | Rank Not Published*, National Liberal Arts Colleges | |
$4,420 | 75, National Universities | |
$8,000 | RNP, National Liberal Arts Colleges | |
$8,622 | RNP, Regional Universities (South) | |
$8,870 | 25, Regional Colleges (South) | |
$8,898 | RNP, Regional Universities (Midwest) | |
$9,000 | RNP, Regional Universities (South) | |
$9,450 | 71, Regional Colleges (South) | |
$9,500 | 35, Regional Colleges (South) |
*RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one fourth of its rankings category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find tuition data, complete rankings, and much more.
U.S. News surveyed more than 1,700 colleges and universities for our 2010 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported a myriad of data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News's data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data comes from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News's rankings of Best Colleges or Best Graduate Schools.
