Schools
It Could Cost You $100K A Year To Attend These PA Colleges
These two Pennsylvania institutions of higher learning were featured among Forbes' list of the 30 most expensive schools in the U.S.
PENNSYLVANIA — Two of the 30 most expensive colleges in the country are located in Pennsylvania, according to a recent analysis.
More than half of the 30 most expensive colleges have tuition costs of more than $70,000 a year in the 2025-2026 academic year, according to the report from The College Investor, a personal finance website.
The costs represent tuition only, but room and board, and textbook costs, which the personal finance website could cause the costs to soar over $100,000 a year.
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Nationally, the cost of a four-year bachelor’s degree is much lower — between $40,000 to $80,000 a year, depending on the major, The College Investor previously reported.
Here’s where Pennsylvania colleges landed on the list:
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- Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster — $70,556
- Haverford College, Haverford — $69,844
Franklin & Marshall College was founded in 1787 with a financial gift from Benjamin Franklin. In 1853, it merged with Marshall College. It has roughly 2,400 students, but it does offer 60 fields of study.
Haverford College was founded in 1833 and focuses on an education based on discussion and debate of ideas. With just 1,400 students, this small liberal arts school still has over 50 majors to choose from.
Full list: 30 Most Expensive Schools
Below is the full list of the 30 most expensive U.S. colleges per The College Investor (tuition costs increased by an average of 4.5 percent from 2024 at the 30 colleges).
- Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, $73,275, up 4.6 percent
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, $73,260, up 4.8 percent
- Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, $73,206, up 4.75 percent
- Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, $73,140, up 4.75 percent
- Colorado College, Colorado Springs $73,038, up 4 percent
- Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, $72,438, up 4 percent
- Boston College, $72,180, up 4 percent
- Tulane University, New Orleans, $71,997, up 4.8 percent
- Kenyon College, Gambler, Ohio, $71,870, up 0.95 percent
- Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California $71,700, up 5.5 percent
- Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, $71,700, up 4.5 percent
- Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, $71,607, up 4.6 percent
- Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, $71,266, up 4.2 percent
- Columbia University, New York City, $70,170, up 4 percent**
- Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota, $70,632, up 4 percent
- Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $70,556, up 3 percent **
- Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, $70,120, up 4.5 percent
- Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, $70,265, up 6 percent
- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, $69,900, up 3.9 percent
- Boston University, $69,870, up 4.8 percent
- Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, $69,844, up 8.75 percent **
- Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, $69,800, up 4.3 percent
- George Washington University, Washington, D.C., $69,780, up 3.5 percent
- Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York, $69,608, up 5 percent
- Colby College, Waterville, Maine, $66,670, up 4 percent **
- Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, $69,207, up 4.6 percent
- Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, $69,146, up 4.2 percent
- Pepperdine University, Malibu, California,$69,130, up 5 percent **
- Reed College, Portland, Oregon, $69,040, up 7 percent **
- University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, $69,030, up 4.8 percent
** Most recent data available for colleges that have not announced their 2025-2026 tuition rates.
Read more: Here’s How Much Tuition Costs At The 30 Most Expensive U.S. Colleges
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