This year's top 10 colleges for financial aid, according to The Princeton Review
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's annual How America Pays for College report.
In most cases, parent income and savings cover about half of college costs, Sallie Mae found. Free money from scholarships and grants accounts for more than a quarter of the costs and student loans make up most of the rest.
"You really do need to have a multipoint plan, and it's not just savings and not just debt," said Chris Ebeling, head of student lending at Citizens.
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When it comes to applying for financial aid, "there are buckets of resource dollars available," said Robert Franek, editor in chief at The Princeton Review.
Beyond federal assistance from the U.S. Department of Education and state aid, many schools offer their own grant or scholarship funds.
To that end, The Princeton Review ranked colleges by how generous these awards are and how satisfied students are with their packages. The 2026 edition of the company's "Best Colleges" 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.
The colleges and universities that ranked the highest on The Princeton Review's list not only deliver on assistance, but also on addressing concerns about college affordability head on, Franek said.
"These schools understand the pain points that families have in general and it is around cost, cost, cost," he said.
At Amherst College, for example, the sticker price for 2025-26 is $93,090 a year — including tuition, fees and room and board — 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.
1. Washington and Lee UniversityLocation: Lexington, Virginia Sticker price: $86,730Average need-based scholarship: $67,220Total out-of-pocket cost: $19,510Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 100%
2. Franklin W. Olin College of EngineeringLocation: Needham, MassachusettsSticker price: $84,278Average need-based scholarship: $56,968Total out-of-pocket cost: $27,310Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 99%
3. Washington University in St. LouisLocation: St. Louis, MissouriSticker price: $92,932Average need-based scholarship: $70,607Total out-of-pocket cost: $22,325Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 100%
4. Princeton UniversityLocation: Princeton, New JerseySticker price: $86,668Average need-based scholarship: $73,711Total out-of-pocket cost: $12,957Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 100%
5. Reed CollegeLocation: Portland, OregonSticker price: $89,843Average need-based scholarship: $52,382Total out-of-pocket cost: $37,461Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 100%
6. Amherst CollegeLocation: Amherst, MassachusettsSticker price: $93,090Average need-based scholarship: $71,342Total out-of-pocket cost: $21,748Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 100%
7. Lafayette CollegeLocation: Easton, PennsylvaniaSticker price: $87,318Average need-based scholarship: $49,603Total out-of-pocket cost: $37,715Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 100%
8. Columbia UniversityLocation: New York, New YorkSticker price: $89,425Average need-based scholarship: $73,702Total out-of-pocket cost: $15,723Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 100%
9. Rice UniversityLocation: Houston, TexasSticker price: $87,047Average need-based scholarship: $66,070Total out-of-pocket cost: $20,977Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 100%
10. Gettysburg CollegeLocation: Gettysburg, PennsylvaniaSticker price: $85,640Average need-based scholarship: $48,573Total out-of-pocket cost: $37,067Average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid: 90%
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