2026–2027 Cost & Aid for Top 30 Universities
| University | Total COA (Est.) | Free Tuition Threshold | $0 Total Cost Threshold |
| Princeton | $94,624 | Families < $250k | Families < $150k |
| MIT | $91,500+ | Families < $200k | Families < $100k |
| Harvard | $92,000+ | Families < $200k | Families < $100k |
| Stanford | $97,545 | Families < $150k | Families < $100k |
| Yale | $98,200+ | Families < $200k | Families < $100k |
| UPenn | $99,082 | Families < $200k | Families < $75k |
| Johns Hopkins | $96,000+ | Families < $200k | Families < $100k |
| Brown | $99,994 | Families < $125k | Families < $60k |
| Duke | $97,000+ | Families < $150k* | Families < $65k* |
| Northwestern | $96,500+ | Families < $150k | Families < $70k |
| Dartmouth | $98,000+ | Families < $175k | Families < $125k |
| U. Chicago | $99,500+ | Families < $125k** | Families < $60k |
| Caltech | $96,000+ | Families < $200k | Families < $100k |
| Columbia | $98,000+ | Families < $150k | Families < $66k |
| Cornell | $97,000+ | Families < $125k | Families < $75k |
| Rice | $91,000+ | Families < $140k | Families < $75k |
| Vanderbilt | $98,500+ | Meets 100% need | Varies by need |
| Notre Dame | $93,000+ | Meets 100% need | Varies by need |
| Emory | $92,000+ | Families < $200k | Varies by need |
| Carnegie Mellon | $94,000+ | Families < $75k | Families < $60k |
| Georgetown | $95,000+ | Meets 100% need | Varies by need |
| WashU St. Louis | $93,000+ | Families < $75k | Varies by need |
| USC | $101,000+ | Families < $80k | Varies by need |
| UC Berkeley | $80k (Out) / $48k (In) | Families < $100k*** | CA Residents only |
| UCLA | $79k (Out) / $46k (In) | Families < $100k*** | CA Residents only |
| U. Michigan | $86k (Out) / $41k (In) | Families < $75k*** | MI Residents only |
| U. Virginia | $84k (Out) / $44k (In) | Meets 100% need | Varies by need |
| UNC Chapel Hill | $65k (Out) / $30k (In) | Families < 200% FPL | NC Residents only |
| UC San Diego | $78k (Out) / $45k (In) | Families < $100k*** | CA Residents only |
| U. Florida | $50k (Out) / $26k (In) | Varies | Varies |
