How to pay, school by school
Some schools promise to cover whatever a family cannot pay. At those schools the published price tells you almost nothing if you qualify for aid. A family sees $94,534, decides they cannot afford it, and can be wrong by more than $87,641 a year. That is the average grant among the students who get aid there. Families rule these schools out on the published price before they ever find out what they would pay. The figures below are for students starting in 2027.
Schools that promise to cover what you cannot pay
We quote every promise below from the school's own pages, with a link and the date we read it, and we show the conditions the school attaches. There are 96 conditions across these 69 schools, and the real answer is usually in them. They say whose measure of what you can pay applies, which parts of the university are covered, whether transfer and international students are included, and which deadline you must meet.
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 3 conditions
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 7 conditions
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · says it covers all of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 8 conditions
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 4 conditions
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 3 conditions
Colby College
Waterville, ME · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 7 conditions
Columbia University
New York, NY · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 5 conditions
Williams College
Williamstown, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 4 conditions
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 7 conditions
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Rice University
Houston, TX · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
Pomona College
Claremont, CA · says it covers all of what a family cannot pay
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Haverford College
Haverford, PA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Yale University
New Haven, CT · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Brown University
Providence, RI · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Davidson College
Davidson, NC · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Emory University
Atlanta, GA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Barnard College
New York, NY · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Carleton College
Northfield, MN · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Smith College
Northampton, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · says it covers all of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
Duke University
Durham, NC · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Bates College
Lewiston, ME · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Reed College
Portland, OR · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Trinity College
Hartford, CT · says it covers all of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay
Pitzer College
Claremont, CA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
DePauw University
Greencastle, IN · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Scripps College
Claremont, CA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Franklin & Marshall College
Lancaster, PA · reports covering 100% of what a family cannot pay
Kenyon College
Gambier, OH · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Lafayette College
Easton, PA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Connecticut College
New London, CT · says it covers all of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
Tufts University
Medford, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Georgetown University
Washington, DC · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · says it covers all of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
New York University
New York, NY · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
Denison University
Granville, OH · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 1 condition
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay · 2 conditions
What it costs, and how to pay, system by system
These pages promise nothing about aid. Each one gives you what the campus costs, in state and out of state, and where it sits among the other campuses in its system. It also shows how to pay the bill in the order that costs least. Each system links to its own guide.
The University of California
Read the UC guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $42,195 | $79,566 |
| Irvine | $42,214 | $79,585 |
| San Diego | $42,290 | $79,661 |
| Riverside | $42,553 | $79,924 |
| Merced | $43,343 | $80,714 |
| Santa Cruz | $44,997 | $82,369 |
| Davis | $45,062 | $82,433 |
| Santa Barbara | $45,428 | $82,799 |
| Berkeley | $49,849 | $87,220 |
The State University of New York
Read the SUNY guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Farmingdale State College | $20,725 | $31,554 |
| Old Westbury | $23,261 | $34,647 |
| Polytechnic Institute | $25,942 | $39,700 |
| Buffalo State | $26,530 | $38,681 |
| Potsdam | $27,409 | $38,238 |
| Fredonia | $28,279 | $40,233 |
| Brockport | $28,461 | $36,187 |
| Oswego | $29,560 | $40,389 |
| Geneseo | $30,278 | $41,828 |
| Cobleskill | $30,363 | $41,191 |
| Cortland | $30,714 | $41,543 |
| Environmental Science and Forestry | $30,742 | $44,903 |
| Plattsburgh | $30,863 | $41,692 |
| New Paltz | $31,064 | $42,264 |
| University at Albany | $31,473 | $53,753 |
| Oneonta | $31,493 | $43,459 |
| Purchase College | $31,736 | $42,937 |
| Maritime College | $32,548 | $44,098 |
| Binghamton | $33,159 | $54,882 |
| Stony Brook | $33,371 | $57,203 |
| University at Buffalo | $33,640 | $56,150 |
The California State University
Read the CSU guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino | $19,043 | $32,811 |
| Fullerton | $19,963 | $33,731 |
| Los Angeles | $20,109 | $33,878 |
| Bakersfield | $21,332 | $35,101 |
| Stanislaus | $21,569 | $35,338 |
| Fresno | $21,958 | $35,727 |
| Northridge | $22,385 | $36,153 |
| San Marcos | $23,656 | $37,425 |
| Long Beach | $24,782 | $38,550 |
| East Bay | $24,969 | $38,737 |
| Sacramento | $25,073 | $38,841 |
| Dominguez Hills | $25,341 | $39,110 |
| Channel Islands | $25,746 | $39,514 |
| Pomona | $26,176 | $39,945 |
| Sonoma | $26,934 | $40,702 |
| Humboldt | $27,504 | $41,272 |
| Chico | $28,720 | $42,489 |
| San Francisco | $28,944 | $42,713 |
| San Jose | $29,059 | $42,827 |
| Monterey Bay | $29,489 | $43,258 |
| San Diego | $30,356 | $44,124 |
| Maritime Academy | $32,621 | $46,390 |
| San Luis Obispo | $35,257 | $58,280 |
The State University System of Florida
Read the SUS guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| West Florida | $21,797 | $35,872 |
| Florida Gulf Coast | $22,736 | $43,546 |
| North Florida | $22,929 | $38,668 |
| Florida International | $23,452 | $37,001 |
| Florida Atlantic | $23,518 | $37,117 |
| Florida Polytechnic | $23,840 | $41,395 |
| Florida | $24,611 | $48,955 |
| South Florida | $24,979 | $36,905 |
| Central Florida | $25,278 | $42,870 |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical | $26,193 | $39,240 |
| New College of Florida | $26,716 | $51,879 |
| Florida State | $28,105 | $42,452 |
The University of Texas System
Read the UT guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Valley | $18,391 | $29,143 |
| El Paso | $21,675 | $38,895 |
| San Antonio | $24,425 | $38,674 |
| Permian Basin | $26,101 | $39,506 |
| Tyler | $26,777 | $43,996 |
| Arlington | $27,603 | $46,870 |
| Stephen F Austin | $28,183 | $41,621 |
| Dallas | $32,571 | $60,435 |
| Austin | $34,144 | $70,445 |
The Texas A&M University System
Read the A&M guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Texas A & M International | $17,001 | $29,633 |
| Victoria | $23,385 | $34,138 |
| San Antonio | $23,663 | $38,525 |
| East Texas A&M | $25,611 | $39,052 |
| West Texas A & M | $25,659 | $27,730 |
| Texarkana | $25,983 | $66,120 |
| Kingsville | $26,291 | $43,615 |
| Tarleton | $26,335 | $37,087 |
| Corpus Christi | $27,548 | $39,618 |
| Prairie View A & M | $28,806 | $45,826 |
| College Station | $35,728 | $65,199 |
The University of North Carolina System
Read the UNC guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville | $18,196 | $22,567 |
| Pembroke | $18,862 | $23,232 |
| Elizabeth City | $19,342 | $23,713 |
| Western Carolina | $21,846 | $26,217 |
| North Carolina A & T | $22,321 | $37,466 |
| Greensboro | $23,355 | $41,222 |
| Asheville | $23,696 | $42,652 |
| Charlotte | $25,144 | $41,811 |
| Winston-Salem | $25,293 | $36,937 |
| Appalachian | $25,317 | $44,585 |
| East Carolina | $26,080 | $43,866 |
| North Carolina State | $28,875 | $55,153 |
| School of the Arts | $28,924 | $48,303 |
| Wilmington | $29,009 | $47,448 |
| North Carolina Central | $29,018 | $43,263 |
Washington's public four-year colleges and universities
Read the WA guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington | $26,748 | $45,732 |
| Tacoma | $27,696 | $60,736 |
| Bothell | $29,403 | $62,443 |
| Washington State | $30,212 | $48,306 |
| Evergreen State College | $31,118 | $55,858 |
| Central Washington | $31,488 | $51,276 |
| Western Washington | $33,174 | $54,073 |
| Seattle | $35,455 | $68,494 |
Virginia's public four-year colleges and universities
Read the VA guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Wise | $29,059 | $46,794 |
| Norfolk State | $29,103 | $41,671 |
| Virginia State | $30,226 | $44,002 |
| Radford | $31,039 | $45,337 |
| George Mason | $31,256 | $57,993 |
| Old Dominion | $32,176 | $55,156 |
| University of Mary Washington | $34,024 | $48,142 |
| James Madison | $34,678 | $53,641 |
| Christopher Newport | $36,897 | $52,578 |
| Longwood | $37,795 | $51,164 |
| Virginia Military Institute | $38,053 | $72,575 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute | $40,377 | $64,216 |
| Virginia Commonwealth | $42,566 | $67,878 |
| William & Mary | $47,026 | $74,479 |
The University System of Georgia
Read the USG guide →| Campus | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Dalton State College | $13,898 | $21,897 |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | $15,250 | $23,249 |
| Gordon State College | $16,141 | $24,139 |
| Savannah State University | $18,785 | $33,311 |
| Clayton State University | $19,030 | $31,434 |
| University of North Georgia | $19,862 | $32,121 |
| Albany State University | $21,126 | $33,530 |
| Middle Georgia State University | $21,436 | $33,841 |
| Fort Valley State University | $21,722 | $34,186 |
| Georgia Southwestern State University | $22,383 | $34,788 |
| Valdosta State University | $22,730 | $35,528 |
| Columbus State University | $23,686 | $36,484 |
| University of West Georgia | $24,019 | $36,817 |
| Georgia Gwinnett College | $24,638 | $34,813 |
| Augusta University | $25,705 | $43,539 |
| Kennesaw State University | $26,234 | $39,268 |
| Georgia Southern University | $26,695 | $39,493 |
| University of Georgia | $30,589 | $52,703 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | $30,779 | $55,284 |
| Georgia State University | $30,860 | $48,536 |
| Georgia College & State University | $33,064 | $55,275 |
More schools
Emmanuel University
Franklin Springs, GA · Private
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA · Private
Heritage University
Toppenish, WA · Private
Northwest University
Kirkland, WA · Private
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA · Private
Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA · Private
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, WA · Private
Seattle University
Seattle, WA · Private
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, WA · Private
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN · Public
Walla Walla University
College Place, WA · Private
Whitworth University
Spokane, WA · Private
Why only these schools?
A full-need page goes up only after someone has checked that school's claim against its own published pages and recorded the sentence that supports it. We checked ten schools to publish the first of these pages, and one didn't pass. Along the way we dropped 46 claims, including one whose quote did not exist on the page it came from.
Publishing a wrong claim about a named university is worse than publishing nothing, and a disclaimer does not fix it. More full-need pages appear as they are verified. The cost pages make no claim about aid, so every campus of every system in our guides can have one. The exception is a campus whose cost data is in question: we hold that page back.