\n<\/p>\n
For the first time, the total cost of college<\/a> this year is nearing or crossing the $100,000 threshold at several institutions<\/a> in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although the price tags are shocking, few families pay the full tab. As of the 2024-25 academic year, the amount families actually spent on education costs was closer to $31,000, on average, according to Sallie Mae\u2019s annual\u00a0How America Pays for College<\/a>\u00a0report.<\/p>\n In most cases, parent income and savings cover about half of college costs, Sallie Mae found. Free money from\u00a0scholarships<\/a>\u00a0and grants accounts for more than a quarter of the costs and\u00a0student loans<\/a>\u00a0make up most of the rest.<\/p>\n \u201cYou really do need to have a multipoint plan, and it\u2019s not just savings and not just debt,\u201d said Chris Ebeling, head of student lending at Citizens.<\/p>\n More from Personal Finance:<\/strong> When it comes to applying for financial aid<\/a>, \u201cthere are buckets of resource dollars available,\u201d said Robert Franek, editor in chief at\u00a0The Princeton Review.<\/p>\n Beyond federal assistance from the U.S. Department of Education and state aid, many schools offer their own grant or scholarship funds.\u00a0<\/p>\n To that end,\u00a0The Princeton Review\u00a0ranked colleges<\/a>\u00a0by how generous these awards are and how satisfied students are with their packages.\u00a0The 2026 edition of the company\u2019s \u201cBest Colleges\u201d guide is based on data from surveys of 170,000 students during the 2024-25 academic year. Sticker prices are based on the upcoming school year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The colleges and universities that ranked the highest on The Princeton Review\u2019s\u00a0list not only deliver on assistance, but also on addressing concerns about college affordability head on, Franek said.<\/p>\n \u201cThese schools understand the pain points that families have in general and it is around cost, cost, cost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n At Amherst College, for example, the sticker price for 2025-26 is $93,090 a year \u2014 including tuition, fees and room and board \u2014 but the average need-based scholarship is $71,342, which brings the total out-of-pocket cost down to $21,748. At other schools in the top 10, the out-of-pocket costs are even lower.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Washington and Lee<\/p>\n Doug Plummer | Washington and Lee University<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 1. Washington and Lee University<\/strong> 2. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering<\/strong> 3. Washington University in St. Louis<\/strong> 4. Princeton University<\/strong> 5. Reed College<\/strong> 6. Amherst College<\/strong> 7. Lafayette College<\/strong> 8. Columbia University<\/strong> 9. Rice University<\/strong> 10. Gettysburg College<\/strong> Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Education Department launches FAFSA sooner than expected<\/a>
Families feel confident about paying for college, until tuition bills arrive<\/a>
Student loan borrowers: How will the end of the SAVE plan affect you? Tell us<\/a><\/p>\nTop 10 colleges for financial aid<\/h2>\n
Location: Lexington, Virginia
Sticker price: $86,730
Average need-based scholarship: $67,220
Total out-of-pocket cost: $19,510
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid:\u00a0100%<\/p>\n
Location: Needham, Massachusetts
Sticker price: $84,278
Average need-based scholarship: $56,968
Total out-of-pocket cost: $27,310
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid: 99%<\/p>\n
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Sticker price: $92,932
Average need-based scholarship: $70,607
Total out-of-pocket cost: $22,325
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid:\u00a0100%<\/p>\n
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Sticker price: $86,668
Average need-based scholarship: $73,711
Total out-of-pocket cost: $12,957
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid:\u00a0100%<\/p>\n
Location: Portland, Oregon
Sticker price: $89,843
Average need-based scholarship: $52,382
Total out-of-pocket cost: $37,461
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid:\u00a0100%<\/p>\n
Location: Amherst, Massachusetts
Sticker price: $93,090
Average need-based scholarship: $71,342
Total out-of-pocket cost: $21,748
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid: 100%<\/p>\n
Location: Easton, Pennsylvania
Sticker price: $87,318
Average need-based scholarship: $49,603
Total out-of-pocket cost: $37,715
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid:\u00a0100%<\/p>\n
Location: New York, New York
Sticker price: $89,425
Average need-based scholarship: $73,702
Total out-of-pocket cost: $15,723
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid:\u00a0100%<\/p>\n
Location: Houston, Texas
Sticker price: $87,047
Average need-based scholarship: $66,070
Total out-of-pocket cost: $20,977
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid:\u00a0100%<\/p>\n
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Sticker price: $85,640
Average need-based scholarship: $48,573
Total out-of-pocket cost: $37,067
Average share\u00a0of need met\u00a0for\u00a0first-year students with need-based\u00a0aid:\u00a090%<\/p>\n
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