In an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education it has been reported that 58 colleges have passed the $50,000 mark for tuition and room and board. Only 5 colleges were in that neighborhood last year. 224 private colleges and universities are over $40,000. Where is the ceiling, or is there one at all?
Even though the vast majority of students at private colleges and universities receive financial aid packages that put them at a much lower cost, the idea of paying over $50,000 a year for a college education discourages students and families from even considering these institutions. However, these schools continue to fill classrooms with no problem, so cost is unlikely to be considered an issue. Data from the College Board shows Sarah Lawrence at number one with tution/room and board at 55,700.00, followed by Landmark (53,900), Georgetown (52,161), NYU (51,993) and George Washington U (51,775).
Jane D. McAuliffe, President of Bryn Mawr, says that she worries about students who deserve a Bryn Mawr education but who are priced out of it. Colleges, she is reported as saying, need to collaborate to keep prices from going up. Bryn Mawr is merging its public safety department and dining services with Haverford College in an attempt to keep costs down. Most who were interviewed see college costs continuing to rise.
“Colleges With Consistently High List Prices
These eight colleges charged among the top 20 highest published totals for tuition, fees, room, and board in each of three years: 2003-4, 2008-9, and 2009-10.
Columbia University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Johns Hopkins University
Landmark College
New York University
Sarah Lawrence College
Wesleyan University
Source: Chronicle analysis of unranked data provided by the College Board”
Chronicle of Higher Education
