16 US colleges now cost more than $100,000 a year

16 U.S. colleges will charge more than US$100,000 for a single year of undergraduate study in the 2026-27 academic year, a surge from only two schools a year earlier. Harvey Mudd College led by charging $104,512, including tuition, fees, housing, food, books and transportation, according to a list by education services company The Princeton Review.The private science and engineering college in Claremont, California, ranks 10th among national liberal arts colleges in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings.Duke University follows at $103,975 and the University of Chicago at $103,821.Nine of the 16 schools are liberal arts colleges. No. School Annual cost (USD) Avg. scholarship/grant (USD) US News 2026 rank 1 Harvey Mudd College 104,512 64,941 10 (LAC) 2 Duke University 103,975 70,439 7 3 University of Chicago 103,821 78,651 6 4 University of Southern California 103,162 50,322 28 5 Barnard College 103,000 60,320 13 (LAC) 6 Washington University in St. Louis 102,260 75,880 20 7 Smith College 102,226 73,031 13 (LAC) 8 Fordham University 102,188 41,919 97 9 Claremont McKenna College 101,990 68,936 7 (LAC) 10 Vassar College 101,051 67,214 13 (LAC) 11 Wesleyan University 101,030 72,372 13 (LAC) 12 New York University 100,998 60,191 32 13 Georgetown University 100,864 58,163 24 14 Bates College 100,437 n/a n/a 15 Colgate University 100,224 72,605 22 (LAC) 16 Haverford College 100,026 70,718 24 (LAC) A year earlier only two schools charged six figures.Besides the 16 this year, at least nine more are now close to the mark. Brown, Northwestern and Pepperdine each charge more than $99,000.Robert Franek, editor in chief at The Princeton Review, told CNBC that paying for college "seems all the more daunting" now that sticker prices have crossed $100,000.He said the schools charging the most tend to be the most generous with scholarships.Jeff Selingo, a higher education journalist who edited The Chronicle of Higher Education and has covered college admissions for more than 25 years, told CNBC that prices show no sign of leveling off and that families are increasingly choosing cheaper state universities. A view of Duke University. Photo courtesy of Duke University The average scholarship grant to first-year students with financial need at the 16 schools runs from about $42,000 to $79,000, The Princeton Review data showed.Private colleges overall discounted tuition by an average of 57% for first-time, full-time undergraduates in 2025-26, CNBC reported, citing the National Association of College and University Business Officers.American families cover only about half of college costs from income and savings, according to "How America Pays for College," an annual study by education lender Sallie. Scholarships, grants and loans make up most of the remainder.Harvard has been tuition-free for families earning $200,000 or less since 2025, Bloomberg reported, and covers the entire cost of attendance for those earning below $100,000.MIT set the same threshold first, applying it from the 2025-26 academic year. Caltech covers tuition, room and board for families earning under $100,000 and full tuition for those under $200,000, Forbes reported.Yale said on Jan. 27 that students entering in 2026-27 from families earning below $200,000 will receive scholarships meeting or exceeding tuition.Families earning below $100,000 will pay nothing toward tuition, housing, meals, travel or health insurance, the university said.Colgate, which charges $100,224, will cover full tuition for families earning $175,000 or less beginning in fall 2026, according to Forbes.