Top the most expensive major in university at usa

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Columbia University has the highest tuition in the country, at $61,671 per year; meanwhile, the College of William & Mary is the public university with the highest in-state tuition, at $23,812.

Thanks to financial aid, few students pay tuition in full. The colleges where students pay the most on average are California Institute of the Arts ($56,876 per year), Ringling College of Art and Design ($51,817), and New York School of Interior Design ($50,846).

At the Manhattan School of Music, Chamberlain University- California, and Hult International Business School, students take on the most loans each year to pay for school.

Graduates of the Design Institute of San Diego, the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and Platt College-Aurora have the most student debt 10 years after graduating.

The most expensive college on the list has total costs exceeding $84,000 a year — a 16% increase in just five years.

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Data Summary

• Check The most expensive college in the U.S. as of the 2021-2022 academic year was the University of Chicago.
• Check Universities with the most expensive college tuition charged students up to $64,000 per year, while total costs at these institutions exceeded $80,000 a year.
• Check Cost of attendance is one of the most important factors in students' college choice.
• Check Despite high sticker prices, these universities often offer generous financial aid packages.

The rising cost of attendance at U.S. colleges and universities has continued to be one of the most important factors students consider when choosing what school to attend.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics from nearly 2,000 U.S. institutions, the total cost at 200 of these schools exceeded $65,000 per year in 2021-2022 for out-of-state students living on campus. Five years prior, fewer than 100 schools cost that much.

Below, we take a closer look at the most expensive colleges in the U.S. and tell you just how much of that cost could be left up to you to pay after scholarships and grants.

The Most Expensive Colleges Ranked by Total Cost

Here are the top 25 four-year colleges and universities with the highest cost of attendance as of the 2021-2022 academic year:

Most Expensive Four-Year Colleges by Total Cost of Attendance Ranking School Annual Cost of Attendance (2021-2022) 1 University of Chicago $84,126 2 Northwestern University $83,838 3 University of Pennsylvania $83,298 4 Columbia University $82,584 5 Brown University $82,570 6 Wesleyan University $82,245 7 Harvey Mudd College $82,236 8 Yale University $82,170 9 Tufts University $81,700 10 University of Southern California $81,659 11 Washington University in St. Louis $81,620 12 Haverford College $81,570 13 Georgetown University $81,515 14 Oberlin College $81,502 15 Dartmouth College $81,501 16 Tulane University of Louisiana $81,232 17 Fordham University $81,186 18 Wellesley College $81,090 19 Southern Methodist University $81,074 20 Reed College $80,970 21 Vassar College $80,830 22 Barnard College $80,693 23 Boston College $80,658 24 Bennington College $80,648 25 Franklin and Marshall College $80,618 Source: NCES

Despite these institutions' high sticker prices, most students who attend actually pay much less. Many schools have generous financial aid packages for individuals below certain income thresholds and offer additional assistance based on merit. Some schools even commit to meeting 100% of students' demonstrated need, allowing them to avoid taking out loans.

But even when costs are high, many of the priciest schools have seen increasing enrollment amid national enrollment declines. Unsurprisingly, each of these schools is a private institution.

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Get to Know the Top 10 Most Expensive Colleges

Here are the top 10 most expensive colleges in the U.S. based on their total cost of attendance in the 2021-2022 academic year. Below, we list each school's tuition and fees, total cost of attendance, and the average net price students are expected to pay after being awarded Title IV grant aid.

6. Wesleyan University

• Tuition and Fees: $62,049
• Total Cost of Attendance: $82,245
• Average Net Price: $21,270

Wesleyan University's total cost of attendance increased the most of all the institutions on this list over the last five years, rising by nearly 22% between the 2016-2017 and 2021-2022 academic years.

Wesleyan commits to meeting 100% of students' demonstrated need and has a no-loan policy for students whose parental income is $120,000 per year or less. The institution awards more than $72 million in need-based aid every year.

7. Harvey Mudd College

• Tuition and Fees: $60,703
• Total Cost of Attendance: $82,236
• Average Net Price: $39,850

Harvey Mudd College saw the smallest increase in total cost of attendance over the last five years: 14.3%. Meanwhile, full-time undergraduate enrollment increased by just about 9% between fall 2016 and fall 2021.

Graduates of Harvey Mudd can look forward to a promising return on their investment, according to recently collected outcomes data. Harvey Mudd ranks in the top 75 institutions of more than 4,500 due to graduates' expected earnings net of debt and other costs 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 years after graduating.

The Most Expensive Colleges by Net Cost

As seen above, a majority of the most expensive institutions today — including Ivy Leagues — offer significant financial aid to their students through scholarships and grants. This helps bring down the total cost of attendance and the remaining fees paid by the student, which are called net costs.

While students can get a decent understanding of just how expensive their school is by looking at the total cost of attendance, the net cost is often a more helpful metric when it comes to college planning. So, below, we've ranked the top 25 most expensive four-year institutions by their net cost of attendance as of the 2021-2022 academic year.

A majority of the institutions in the top 25 are private, nonprofit institutions. Four are for-profit schools, and not a single public institution makes the top 25.

Most Expensive Four-Year Colleges by Net Cost of Attendance Rank School State Annual Net Cost of Attendance (2021-2022) Type 1 Ringling College of Art and Design FL $50,747 Private, Nonprofit 2 School of Visual Arts NY $50,183 Private, For-Profit 3 Manhattan School of Music NY $47,969 Private, Nonprofit 4 Moore College of Art and Design PA $46,750 Private, Nonprofit 5 Yeshiva University NY $46,632 Private, Nonprofit 6 Art Center College of Design CA $46,201 Private, Nonprofit 7 California Institute of the Arts CA $46,083 Private, Nonprofit 8 School of the Art Institute of Chicago IL $46,067 Private, Nonprofit 9 Howard University DC $45,837 Private, Nonprofit 10 Pratt Institute NY $45,816 Private, Nonprofit 11 Emerson College MA $45,609 Private, Nonprofit 12 Berklee College of Music MA $45,467 Private, Nonprofit 13 West Coast University, Los Angeles CA $45,392 Private, For-Profit 14 Worcester Polytechnic Institute MA $45,005 Private, Nonprofit 15 Dominican University of California CA $44,990 Private, Nonprofit 16 Rhode Island School of Design RI $44,371 Private, Nonprofit 17 Savannah College of Art and Design GA $44,270 Private, Nonprofit 18 Sacred Heart University CT $43,871 Private, Nonprofit 19 Fairfield University CT $43,569 Private, Nonprofit 20 Santa Clara University CA $43,228 Private, Nonprofit 21 New York Film Academy NY $42,649 Private, For-Profit 22 Tulane University of Louisiana LA $42,217 Private, Nonprofit 23 Platt College, Aurora CO $41,975 Private, For-Profit 24 Lafayette College PA $41,937 Private, Nonprofit 25 Hult International Business School MA $41,820 Private, Nonprofit Source: College Scorecard

What Students Should Know About Paying for College

While it may be overwhelming to see the exorbitant costs of many institutions, you can access a number of resources available to help curb your out-of-pocket expenses.

Regardless of your financial situation, you should first fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, otherwise known as the FAFSA. Our FAFSA guide will tell you everything you need to know about when to fill out and how it can help you secure scholarships, loans, and grants to fund your education.

Should you need to take out federal or nonfederal student loans, think carefully about what type of degree you are pursuing. Consider opting for a high-value degree with a decent return on investment.

Which major is the most expensive?

Some of the most expensive degrees are in fields like Engineering, Medicine, Management, Law, and Art. Here are some of the most expensive degrees to study in the world!

What is the most valuable degree in USA?

Students who pursue a degree specifically in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or economics — mostly STEM disciplines — earn the most overall, according to a new analysis of bachelor's degrees and median earnings by the U.S. Census Bureau.

What is the most expensive university in the US?

Columbia University has the highest tuition in the country, at $61,671 per year; meanwhile, the College of William & Mary is the public university with the highest in-state tuition, at $23,812. Thanks to financial aid, few students pay tuition in full.

What's the most expensive course in college?

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Fine Arts 🎨 ... .

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Theater Arts 🎭.