I was just playing around with the recently updated data on the College Affordability and Transparency Center, and I was struck by how many smaller liberal arts colleges are among the most expensive four-year private non-profit institutions. I expected to see more universities with expensive graduate departments and science labs.
To be sure, Columbia University tops the list with annual tuition and required fees of $45,290 during the 2011-12 school year. That might be expected with the high cost of real estate and salaries in New York City. But seven of the top 10 most expensive schools are small liberal arts colleges: Sarah Lawrence, Vassar, Trinity, Connecticut College, Wesleyan, Bucknell and Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Mass.
On the other hand, these bucolic colleges are not so much more expensive than urban universities. University of Chicago at $43,780 is nearly as pricey.
Here’s the list of the 65 most expensive four-year colleges and universities:
| U.S. Department of Education | |||
| Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above with Highest Tuition | |||
| (National Average: $22,786) | |||
| Institution | State | Tuition(1) | |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $45,290 | |
| Sarah Lawrence College | NY | $45,212 | |
| Vassar College | NY | $44,705 | |
| George Washington University | DC | $44,148 | |
| Trinity College | CT | $44,070 | |
| Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $44,010 | |
| Connecticut College | CT | $43,990 | |
| Wesleyan University | CT | $43,974 | |
| Bucknell University | PA | $43,866 | |
| Bard College at Simon’s Rock | MA | $43,840 | |
| University of Chicago | IL | $43,780 | |
| St John’s College | MD | $43,656 | |
| St John’s College | NM | $43,655 | |
| Union College | NY | $43,602 | |
| Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | $43,434 | |
| Bard College | NY | $43,306 | |
| Oberlin College | OH | $43,210 | |
| Williams College | MA | $43,190 | |
| University of Richmond | VA | $43,170 | |
| Dickinson College | PA | $43,060 | |
| Dartmouth College | NH | $42,996 | |
| Tufts University | MA | $42,962 | |
| Carleton College | MN | $42,942 | |
| Colgate University | NY | $42,920 | |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges | NY | $42,915 | |
| Hampshire College | MA | $42,900 | |
| Amherst College | MA | $42,898 | |
| Occidental College | CA | $42,871 | |
| Colby College | ME | $42,820 | |
| University of Southern California | CA | $42,818 | |
| Bowdoin College | ME | $42,816 | |
| Bates College | ME | $42,800 | |
| Bennington College | VT | $42,800 | |
| Reed College | OR | $42,800 | |
| St Lawrence University | NY | $42,735 | |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | NY | $42,704 | |
| Hamilton College | NY | $42,640 | |
| Kenyon College | OH | $42,630 | |
| Franklin and Marshall College | PA | $42,610 | |
| Gettysburg College | PA | $42,610 | |
| Pitzer College | CA | $42,550 | |
| Middlebury College | VT | $42,428 | |
| Harvey Mudd College | CA | $42,410 | |
| Skidmore College | NY | $42,380 | |
| Johns Hopkins University | MD | $42,280 | |
| Claremont McKenna College | CA | $42,240 | |
| Brown University | RI | $42,230 | |
| Haverford College | PA | $42,208 | |
| Boston College | MA | $42,204 | |
| Barnard College | NY | $42,184 | |
| University of Pennsylvania | PA | $42,098 | |
| Macalester College | MN | $42,021 | |
| Washington University in St Louis | MO | $41,992 | |
| Northwestern University | IL | $41,983 | |
| Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering | MA | $41,950 | |
| Scripps College | CA | $41,950 | |
| Duke University | NC | $41,938 | |
| Washington and Lee University | VA | $41,927 | |
| Wheaton College | MA | $41,894 | |
| Brandeis University | MA | $41,860 | |
| University of Rochester | NY | $41,826 | |
| Ursinus College | PA | $41,820 | |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | NJ | $41,782 | |
| New York University | NY | $41,606 | |
| Wake Forest University | NC | $41,576 | |
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(1)Tuition and Required Fees, 2011-12
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SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2011, Institutional Characteristics component and Spring 2012, Student Financial Aid component.
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