The following article is provided by Graphiq and StartClass.
It’s one of the age-old debates of higher education — should you go to a public or private college? While there are plenty of pros and cons for each choice, perhaps the most integral factor in making the decision is simple: money.
Private universities tend to have more funding, thanks in large part to donations and higher tuition prices. The most renowned private schools typically receive the biggest financial contributions and, unfortunately for their students, have the highest tuition fees.
But which private schools make the biggest dent in students’ savings accounts?
Using data from the 2014-2015 school year provided by the U.S. Department of Education, StartClass identified the 25 most expensive private colleges in the country, based on the cost of tuition for full-time undergraduate students.
George Washington University was the only D.C.-area school to make the list at No. 8.
Also included below — each school’s Smart Rating — a comprehensive score that evaluates each college on a scale of 0-100 in order to rate the overall quality. The Smart Rating is determined based on the following factors: financial affordability, career readiness, admissions selectivity, expert opinion and academic excellence.
#25. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Location: Troy, NY
Smart Rating: 96
2014-2015 Tuition: $47,908
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,452
#24. Hampshire College
Location: Amherst, MA
Smart Rating: 80
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,065
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,492
#23. Dartmouth College
Location: Hanover, NH
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,108
Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,276
#22. Colgate University
Location: Hamilton, NY
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,175
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,890
#21. Bard College
Location: Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
Smart Rating: 85
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,240
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,014
#20. Wesleyan University
Location: Middletown, CT
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,272
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,906
#19. University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Smart Rating: 96
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,280
Undergraduate Enrollment: 18,445
#18. Tulane University of Louisiana
Location: New Orleans, LA
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,305
Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,290
#17. Williams College
Location: Williamstown, MA
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,310
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,096
#16. Union College
Location: Schenectady, NY
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,384
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,246
#15. Bucknell University
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,498
Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,532
#14. Franklin and Marshall College
Location: Lancaster, PA
Smart Rating: 90
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,514
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,297
#13. Amherst College
Location: Amherst, MA
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,526
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,785
#12. Bard College at Simon’s Rock
Location: Great Barrington, MA
Smart Rating: 79
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,551
Undergraduate Enrollment: 350
#11. Harvey Mudd College
Location: Claremont, CA
Smart Rating: 96
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,594
Undergraduate Enrollment: 807
#10. Tufts University
Location: Medford, MA
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,643
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,180
#9. Oberlin College
Location: Oberlin, OH
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,682
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,894
#8. George Washington University
Location: Washington, DC
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,760
Undergraduate Enrollment: 10,357
#7. Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $49,022
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,917
#6. Trinity College
Location: Hartford, CT
Smart Rating: 94
2014-2015 Tuition: $49,056
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,301
#5. University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
Smart Rating: 98
2014-2015 Tuition: $49,380
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,703
#4. Vassar College
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Smart Rating: 96
2014-2015 Tuition: $49,570
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,477
#3. Landmark College
Location: Putney, VT
Smart Rating: 65
2014-2015 Tuition: $50,080
Undergraduate Enrollment: 494
#2. Sarah Lawrence College
Location: Bronxville, NY
Smart Rating: 89
2014-2015 Tuition: $50,780
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,471
#1. Columbia University in the City of New York
Location: New York, NY
Smart Rating: 98
2014-2015 Tuition: $51,008
Undergraduate Enrollment: 7,970
Learn More About Colleges at StartClass
