The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.
While most private colleges carry a higher sticker price than many public schools, that cost can vary.
On average, tuition and fees at private colleges cost $33,635 in the 2016-2017 school year — more than a 3 percent increase compared with last year’s average, according to data reported to U.S. News by 725 ranked private schools in an annual survey.
[Explore how private colleges are increasing tuition discounts.]
Students paying full price at New York’s Columbia University pay the most of any private school, forking over $55,056 in tuition and fees for the 2016-2017 school year. Columbia wasn’t included in the list of most expensive private schools last year because it didn’t provide these cost figures to U.S. News.
The University of Chicago, the sixth most expensive private college, also wasn’t among the 10 most expensive private colleges last year. The school raised its tuition by nearly 5 percent from $50,193 in 2015-2016 to $52,491 in 2016-2017.
The cost of attending one of the top 10 priciest private schools in 2016-2017, on average, amounts to $52,828 in tuition and fees for those who pay at the full rate.
On the other end of the spectrum, the 10 least expensive private colleges in 2016-2017 charge an average of $10,624 in tuition and fees.
[See which colleges offer the best value.]
Brigham Young University–Provo carries the lowest price tag among private colleges and universities that reported tuition and fees data to U.S. News. The Utah school, which is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, charges Mormon undergraduates $5,300 in tuition and fees for 2016-2017. Non-Mormon students pay double that amount — shelling out $10,500 for this academic year, which is still relatively inexpensive compared with the sticker prices at most private schools.
But not all schools charge tuition. A small number of tuition-free schools, not included on this list, waive tuition.
Berea College in Kentucky, for example, offers all of its students a tuition scholarship; but these students are charged $570 in fees for the 2016-2017 school year.
[Learn more about tuition-free colleges.]
Alice Lloyd College, also in Kentucky, waives tuition for its students who are from a Central Appalachian state — Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. But it is included in the list, as students outside the region pay $11,550 in tuition and fees for the 2016-2017 school year.
The tables below show the schools that charge the most and least tuition and fees in 2016-2017. Among the least expensive private colleges, the majority are in a southern state, such as Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana, and half are in the bottom one-fourth of their ranking category.
Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.
Most Expensive Schools
| School name (state) | 2016-2017 tuition and fees | U.S. News rank and category |
| Columbia University (NY) | $55,056 | 5 (tie), National Universities |
| Vassar College (NY) | $53,090 | 12 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Harvey Mudd College (CA) | $52,916 | 21 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Trinity College (CT) | $52,760 | 38 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Sarah Lawrence College (NY) | $52,550 | 59, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| University of Chicago | $52,491 | 3 (tie), National Universities |
| Amherst College (MA) | $52,476 | 2, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Tufts University (MA) | $52,430 | 27 (tie), National Universities |
| Franklin and Marshall College (PA) | $52,290 | 47 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| University of Southern California | $52,217 | 23, National Universities |
Least Expensive Schools
| School name (state) | 2016-2017 tuition and fees | U.S. News rank and category |
| Brigham Young University–Provo (UT) | $5,300 | 68 (tie), National Universities |
| Rust College (MS) | $9,500 | 52 (tie), Regional Colleges (South) |
| Tougaloo College (MS) | $10,600 | RNP*, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| LeMoyne-Owen College (TN) | $10,900 | RNP, Regional Colleges (South) |
| Blue Mountain College (MS) | $11,212 | 7, Regional Colleges (South) |
| Alice Lloyd College (KY) | $11,550 | RNP, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Our Lady of Holy Cross (LA) | $11,632 | 56 (tie), Regional Colleges (South) |
| William Carey University (MS) | $11,700 | 41 (tie), Regional Universities (South) |
| Jarvis Christian College (TX) | $11,720 | RNP, Regional Colleges (West) |
| Park University (MO) | $12,130 | RNP, Regional Universities (Midwest) |
* RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
Don’t see your school on the list? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find data on tuition and fees, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2016 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ 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 come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The tuition and fees data above are correct as of Sept. 13, 2016.
More from U.S. News
Study: Private Colleges Up Tuition Discounts
Some Colleges Choose to Slash, Freeze Tuition
10 Most, Least Expensive Private Colleges originally appeared on usnews.com
