20 Of The Most Expensive Colleges In The United States

College is way too expensive no matter where you go in the United States. Just ask anyone who never went why they didn’t go, or ask a graduate why they are struggling with debt despite having a degree, and they’ll both give you the same answer— college costs too much money. Student loans make college affordable for a few years, but after graduation, the grace period runs out. All of a sudden you’re giving half of your paycheck to the government or a private lender because you decided to go to school.

College tuition prices are rising yearly— to the extent that they have the highest inflation rate in all of the United States economy. Even public colleges are getting expensive these days, but the private ones still take the cake in terms of cost. Private colleges have no limitations on what they can charge, and since they are all about the bottom line, they barely look at applicants GPA’s.

It seems like there are more colleges in America than words in the dictionary, but there are 20 colleges that really stand out among the rest. These colleges could bankrupt you entirely in just the first week of classes, unless you have rich parents, scholarships or financial aid. At tens of thousands of dollars each year (some hitting six figures), these schools will give you a top of the line education at a top of the line price. Here are the 20 of the most expensive colleges in the United States.

#20 – Williams College – Williamstown, MA ($61,070/Year)

Williams College is perhaps the highest end liberal arts colleges in the entire United States. While some people may have never heard of the school (due to lack of athletics or an Ivy League name), employers know how much a Williams College degree is worth.

Williams College is only 17 years older than America itself, adding to the school’s prestige. The current cost to go to Williams for one year is listed at $61,070, so nearly two thirds of the students at Williams are on financial aid.

Notable Alumni: George Steinbrenner, Stephen Sondheim, and James A. Garfield.

#19 – Boston College – Chestnut Hill, MA ($61,096)

Boston College also sits in the state of Massachusetts and costs an average of just $26 more than Williams for a year of school. Boston College is nationally well known, but it can be very hard to get into. Only a third of applicants get accepted.

Boston College is the largest Jesuit Catholic private school in the United States. The campus buildings were built back in 1863, so students get to feel like they’re learning in a 19th century cathedral (which is well worth the price to some of them.)

Notable Alumni: Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Amy Poehler, and Leonard Nimoy.

#18 – Barnard College – New York, NY ($61,100/Year)

Much smaller than Boston College (just 2,360 students) is the private liberal arts college of Barnard in New York City. The campus is one of the smallest on the list as it just spans four acres, but there’s not a whole lot of space in New York City (if you haven’t noticed.)

Men, if you are thinking about going here, don’t bother. It’s a women’s only school. Ladies, not only will you get a great education at Barnard, but it’s also right in the middle of Manhattan— so there will be plenty of stuff you can do to distract yourself from your studies. Make sure to hit the books too, though, so you don’t waste $61,100 in a year to end up dropping out.

Notable Alumni: Joan Rivers, Cynthia Nixon, and Martha Stewart.

#17 – Brandeis University – Waltham, MA ($61,100)

We go back to Massachusetts for one of the youngest schools on the list, Brandeis University. Brandeis was founded in 1948 by the Jewish community after the end of World War II, and was opened to students of all race and religion.

The private school has now grown to almost 6,000 students and has a huge campus of 235 acres. The cost is about the same as Barnard at $61,100 per year, but men can go to this one. The main building is a castle, which looks pretty cool when driving up.

Notable Alumni: Debra Messing, Jack Abramoffa, and Thomas L. Friedman.

#16 – Vassar College – Poughkeepsie, NY ($61,140/Year)

For 108 years, Vassar was an all women’s school, but it opened its doors to men in 1969. Vassar dwarves Brandeis in size at over 1,000 acres, but has just half the amount of students. It’s an incredibly difficult school to get into as one of the premier liberal arts schools in the nation, and as one of the most expensive at $61,140 per year.

You won’t be bound to the typical majors at Vassar, as they allow you to explore any type of study you want. This really plays into the hands of students that have zero idea what they want to do with their lives, but at least they get a great degree from a great school out of it.

Notable Alumni: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Jane Fonda.

#15 – Amherst College – Amherst, MA ($61,206/Year)

While Williams was ranked as the best private liberal school in the United States, Amherst finished at a close second with a slightly higher cost per year at $61,206. Amherst and Williams have a huge rivalry that extends from the classroom to the football field at their annual game (which gets national attention).

Amherst College is one of the hardest schools to get into. Under 15 percent of applicants get accepted and fewer than a total of 2,000 students. Just like Vassar, Amherst has a huge campus with a small enrollment, but a degree from Amherst can get you almost any job you want.

Notable Alumni: Joseph Stiglitz, Calvin Coolidge, and Dr. Drew Pinsky

#14 – Tufts University – Medford, MA ($61,277/Year)

We visit Massachusetts once again to the very prestigious Tufts University, where less than 20 percent of applicants are accepted through the doors. Tufts is much larger than some of the previous schools on the list. It also goes by the school of thought that you shouldn’t be confined to just one major.

Despite the fun name, Tufts’ academics can be tough for some students. One year at the university can cost $61,277.

Notable Alumni: Jessica Biel, Dom DeLuise, and Ram Dass.

#13 – University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, PA ($61,412/Year)

As an Ivy League school, there are going to be many hopeful students that apply at the University of Pennsylvania, and a lot of them aren’t going to be happy when they get the news. In 2014 alone, 90 percent of applicants were rejected. The founder of the school was one of the founding fathers of America, Ben Franklin, 26 years before America was even a country.

While most of the country refers to the school simply as Penn, it has produced a bevy of successful people, including more than two dozen Nobel Prize winners. The cost to go to a school this well known is astronomical at $61,412 per year, but we have even more expensive Ivy League colleges next on the list.

Notable Alumni: Donald Trump, Sharon Stone, and Warren Buffett

#12 – Carnegie Mellon University – Pittsburgh, PA ($61,422/Year)

While those of us in the midwest might refer to CMU as Central Michigan University, CMU to most easterners is Carnegie Mellon University. CMU is a relatively new school at just 115 years old. It is set in Pittsburgh, and was founded by the billionaire Andrew Carnegie (as part of his effort to give back to the community.)

At a massive 140 acres, CMU is among the largest on the list and is home to some of the most iconic buildings in the Steel City. If you didn’t get into Penn and have $10 extra per year to spare, try CMU at $61,422 per year. It also has a little better acceptance rate.

Notable Alumni: Andy Warhol, Ted Danson, and Albert Brooks.

#11 – Fordham University – Bronx, NY ($61,588/Year)

Fordham is one of the top schools in all of New York and in the country. It has three different campuses in New York City, with the main campus situated in the Bronx. A lot of students attend Fordham with an enrollment of 15,000, which adds to the already ridiculous foot traffic that occurs in the city every day.

If you want to be a Fordham Ram, then you are going to have to pay an average of $61,588 per year. The reason the price is so high for a school this large is the location, and more than a quarter of the attendance comes from the cost of room and board. It’s worth it to live in one of the most recognizable places on earth, though.

Notable Alumni: Denzel Washington, Amanda Seyfried, and Alan Alda.

#10 – Northwestern University – Evanston, IL ($61,640/Year)

We finally get away from the northeastern part of the country and head midwest to visit a Big Ten school just outside of Chicago. Since Northwestern is a part of that Big Ten conference, the enrollment is well over 20,000, but the acceptance rate is the lowest in the conference at just under 13 percent.

Northwestern is known for many different programs, but its journalism program is typically ranked at the top in the nation each year. One year at this school costs an average of $61,640, and you get to live just a short trip away from Chicago. If you didn’t bring your car, don’t worry, there are plenty of trains that can take you in and out of the city.

Notable Alumni: Stephen Colbert, Hugh Hefner, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

#9 – Drexel University – Philadelphia, PA ($61,731/Year)

Drexel is a research university. It has an enrollment of over 20,000 students, which is mainly because there are so many campuses. There are three Drexel campuses in the city of Philadelphia, alone, with another located on the opposite side of the country in Sacramento, California. Of all the schools on the list, Drexel has one of the highest acceptance rates at nearly 75 percent, so you have a chance of getting in.

You might not have a chance of paying for it, however, since the annual cost is averaged out to $61,731. Drexel is renowned for their internship programs where many students get on the job training while still enrolled. You’ll want to take advantage of those to set yourself up with a high paying job once school is done— to get rid of all of that student loan debt.

Notable Alumni: Christopher Ferguson, Paul W. Richards, and Maxfield Parrish.

#8 – Oberlin College – Oberlin, OH ($61,788/Year)

Oberlin is the only college on the list from Ohio. It is also the first college that allowed women and minorities through its doors. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise though, since this liberal arts college has always listed progress as their main goal. There are only two courses of study at Oberlin, one is music and the other is arts and science.

Oberlin costs $61,788 per year, and has one of the cheapest boarding costs on the list. Ohio isn’t a very expensive place to live compared to the Chicago area or New York City. Still, the experience and degree you get from Oberlin will put you up there with the rest of the nation’s students.

Notable Alumni: Sinclair Lewis, Thornton Wilder, and Liz Phair

#7 – Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, MD ($61,806/Year)

There are three ways in which you may know the name Johns Hopkins. You either; 1: Know of the school because it is so prestigious, B: Are a huge lacrosse fan, or C: Heard it mentioned in the movie “Step Brothers”. If you fall under number 1, then you might be a candidate for the school in Baltimore. But it will set you back a few bucks since it costs $61,806 per year of attendance.

Three dozen Nobel Prize winners have gone through the doors of Johns Hopkins, including president Woodrow Wilson. This private university stands at nearly 150 years old and was founded by anti-slavery activist Johns Hopkins (of course). It is also the only school in Maryland to appear on the list.

Notable Alumni: Michael Bloomberg, Woodrow Wilson, and John Astin.

#6 – Scripps College – Claremont, CA ($61,940/Year)

Scripps College is one of two schools west of the Mississippi River (we’ll get to the other one next), and one of the youngest at 89 years old. There are only 1,000 students enrolled at Scripps, which is a liberal arts college for women only.

The campus is one of the most beautiful in the nation. The architect of the school wanted to replicate the colonial style that was found in Spanish culture. Students here will have to pay $61,940 per year, but get to live in gorgeous California on a beautiful campus. The education isn’t half bad, either.

Notable Alumni: Gabrielle Giffords, China Chow, and Serena Altschul.

#5 – University of Southern California – Los Angeles, CA ($62,031/Year)

The other school in the west resides in sunny Los Angeles, and is probably the most recognizable on the list to football fans. The University of Southern California (also referred to as USC or Southern Cal) was founded in 1880 and has a huge enrollment of 41,000 students. This makes it one of the largest private schools in the entire United States.

The main rival of USC is UCLA, which also resides in the Los Angeles area. USC is the far more expensive of the two at $62,031 per year. It can be pretty hard to get any studying done with the glitz of Hollywood and the beaches near the campus, but many have found their way through it. Since there’s no in-state tuition for private schools, many make the trip from around the country to attend USC.

Notable Alumni: Steven Spielberg, Will Ferrell, and Neil Armstrong.

#4 – Dartmouth College – Hanover, NH ($62,337/Year)

Dartmouth has an instantly recognizable name as one of the most prestigious Ivy League schools in America. The college is among the oldest in the nation and was founded in 1769. Before the United States officially became a country, there were nine colleges and Dartmouth was one of them. Only around 10 percent of applicants will get into this school that has a long waiting list.

New Hampshire isn’t really the state that most 18 year olds want to go to, but when a degree from Dartmouth is the result of living in the small New England state, then it’s worth it. It better be worth it, after all, since tuition costs $62,337 per year. That is, if you can get into Dartmouth in the first place.

Notable Alumni: Dr. Seuss, Michael Moriarty, and Robert Frost.

#3 – Columbia University – New York City, NY ($63,440/Year)

Columbia is the final of our Ivy League schools on the list. It has one of the lowest acceptance rates in the world at just under seven percent. That’s right, for every 100 students that apply to Columbia, only seven will get in. That’s insane, but not as insane as how much you have to pay each year, since the cost is $63,440.

You also have to be a genius (or incredibly well connected) to make it into Columbia, as it was ranked as the fourth smartest university in the nation. If you can get into Columbia in the first place, there’s a good chance that you were intelligent enough to get a scholarship or rich enough to avoid student loan debt. Either way, you are set for life after attending Columbia.

Notable Alumni: Barack Obama, Katie Holmes, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

#2 – New York University – New York City, NY ($63,472/Year)

There are only 11,000 students at New York University, but the school has one of the largest housing populations. Almost every student that attends NYU lives on campus, as it’s too hard to get to and from the school. The cost to attend NYU is $63,472 per year, but that’s pretty much what rent costs in New York City (the world’s most expensive city to live in), so the degree is a bonus.

NYU has become one of the best known schools for producing stars in the entertainment industry. Countless actors, directors, musicians, and more have made their way through NYU, despite the high price tag. If you’ve ever wanted to get onto Saturday Night Live, then NYU is probably the school you’ll most want to consider.

Notable Alumni: Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, and Billy Crystal.

#1 – University of Chicago – Chicago, IL ($63,585/Year)

The University of Chicago is the second school on the list in Illinois, but takes the first spot in terms of expenses. Founded in 1890, The University of Chicago was mainly funded by John Rockefeller (the oil titan from the 19th century.) Only 8 percent of applicants get into this university, and most of them find success after their school days are finished.

Each year, students pay an average of $63,585 to go to the University of Chicago. The buildings on campus aren’t the oldest in Chicago but they sure look that way, despite being maintained beautifully. Unlike Northwestern University, you don’t have to take a train into the city, you can just walk there. And just like the other 19, this school is private. So unless you have rich parents, you’re going to have to start saving money from your paper route and study instead of hanging out with the other kids.

Notable Alumni: Larry Ellison, Roger Ebert, and David Rockefeller.

#19 – Boston College – Chestnut Hill, MA ($61,096)

Boston College also sits in the state of Massachusetts and costs an average of just $26 more than Williams for a year of school. Boston College is nationally well known, but it can be very hard to get into. Only a third of applicants get accepted.

Boston College is the largest Jesuit Catholic private school in the United States. The campus buildings were built back in 1863, so students get to feel like they’re learning in a 19th century cathedral (which is well worth the price to some of them.)

Notable Alumni: Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Amy Poehler, and Leonard Nimoy.

#18 – Barnard College – New York, NY ($61,100/Year)

Much smaller than Boston College (just 2,360 students) is the private liberal arts college of Barnard in New York City. The campus is one of the smallest on the list as it just spans four acres, but there’s not a whole lot of space in New York City (if you haven’t noticed.)

Men, if you are thinking about going here, don’t bother. It’s a women’s only school. Ladies, not only will you get a great education at Barnard, but it’s also right in the middle of Manhattan— so there will be plenty of stuff you can do to distract yourself from your studies. Make sure to hit the books too, though, so you don’t waste $61,100 in a year to end up dropping out.

Notable Alumni: Joan Rivers, Cynthia Nixon, and Martha Stewart.

#17 – Brandeis University – Waltham, MA ($61,100)

We go back to Massachusetts for one of the youngest schools on the list, Brandeis University. Brandeis was founded in 1948 by the Jewish community after the end of World War II, and was opened to students of all race and religion.

The private school has now grown to almost 6,000 students and has a huge campus of 235 acres. The cost is about the same as Barnard at $61,100 per year, but men can go to this one. The main building is a castle, which looks pretty cool when driving up.

Notable Alumni: Debra Messing, Jack Abramoffa, and Thomas L. Friedman.

#16 – Vassar College – Poughkeepsie, NY ($61,140/Year)

For 108 years, Vassar was an all women’s school, but it opened its doors to men in 1969. Vassar dwarves Brandeis in size at over 1,000 acres, but has just half the amount of students. It’s an incredibly difficult school to get into as one of the premier liberal arts schools in the nation, and as one of the most expensive at $61,140 per year.

You won’t be bound to the typical majors at Vassar, as they allow you to explore any type of study you want. This really plays into the hands of students that have zero idea what they want to do with their lives, but at least they get a great degree from a great school out of it.

Notable Alumni: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Jane Fonda.

#15 – Amherst College – Amherst, MA ($61,206/Year)

While Williams was ranked as the best private liberal school in the United States, Amherst finished at a close second with a slightly higher cost per year at $61,206. Amherst and Williams have a huge rivalry that extends from the classroom to the football field at their annual game (which gets national attention).

Amherst College is one of the hardest schools to get into. Under 15 percent of applicants get accepted and fewer than a total of 2,000 students. Just like Vassar, Amherst has a huge campus with a small enrollment, but a degree from Amherst can get you almost any job you want.

Notable Alumni: Joseph Stiglitz, Calvin Coolidge, and Dr. Drew Pinsky

#14 – Tufts University – Medford, MA ($61,277/Year)

We visit Massachusetts once again to the very prestigious Tufts University, where less than 20 percent of applicants are accepted through the doors. Tufts is much larger than some of the previous schools on the list. It also goes by the school of thought that you shouldn’t be confined to just one major.

Despite the fun name, Tufts’ academics can be tough for some students. One year at the university can cost $61,277.

Notable Alumni: Jessica Biel, Dom DeLuise, and Ram Dass.

#13 – University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, PA ($61,412/Year)

As an Ivy League school, there are going to be many hopeful students that apply at the University of Pennsylvania, and a lot of them aren’t going to be happy when they get the news. In 2014 alone, 90 percent of applicants were rejected. The founder of the school was one of the founding fathers of America, Ben Franklin, 26 years before America was even a country.

While most of the country refers to the school simply as Penn, it has produced a bevy of successful people, including more than two dozen Nobel Prize winners. The cost to go to a school this well known is astronomical at $61,412 per year, but we have even more expensive Ivy League colleges next on the list.

Notable Alumni: Donald Trump, Sharon Stone, and Warren Buffett

#12 – Carnegie Mellon University – Pittsburgh, PA ($61,422/Year)

While those of us in the midwest might refer to CMU as Central Michigan University, CMU to most easterners is Carnegie Mellon University. CMU is a relatively new school at just 115 years old. It is set in Pittsburgh, and was founded by the billionaire Andrew Carnegie (as part of his effort to give back to the community.)

At a massive 140 acres, CMU is among the largest on the list and is home to some of the most iconic buildings in the Steel City. If you didn’t get into Penn and have $10 extra per year to spare, try CMU at $61,422 per year. It also has a little better acceptance rate.

Notable Alumni: Andy Warhol, Ted Danson, and Albert Brooks.

#11 – Fordham University – Bronx, NY ($61,588/Year)

Fordham is one of the top schools in all of New York and in the country. It has three different campuses in New York City, with the main campus situated in the Bronx. A lot of students attend Fordham with an enrollment of 15,000, which adds to the already ridiculous foot traffic that occurs in the city every day.

If you want to be a Fordham Ram, then you are going to have to pay an average of $61,588 per year. The reason the price is so high for a school this large is the location, and more than a quarter of the attendance comes from the cost of room and board. It’s worth it to live in one of the most recognizable places on earth, though.

Notable Alumni: Denzel Washington, Amanda Seyfried, and Alan Alda.

#10 – Northwestern University – Evanston, IL ($61,640/Year)

We finally get away from the northeastern part of the country and head midwest to visit a Big Ten school just outside of Chicago. Since Northwestern is a part of that Big Ten conference, the enrollment is well over 20,000, but the acceptance rate is the lowest in the conference at just under 13 percent.

Northwestern is known for many different programs, but its journalism program is typically ranked at the top in the nation each year. One year at this school costs an average of $61,640, and you get to live just a short trip away from Chicago. If you didn’t bring your car, don’t worry, there are plenty of trains that can take you in and out of the city.

Notable Alumni: Stephen Colbert, Hugh Hefner, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

#9 – Drexel University – Philadelphia, PA ($61,731/Year)

Drexel is a research university. It has an enrollment of over 20,000 students, which is mainly because there are so many campuses. There are three Drexel campuses in the city of Philadelphia, alone, with another located on the opposite side of the country in Sacramento, California. Of all the schools on the list, Drexel has one of the highest acceptance rates at nearly 75 percent, so you have a chance of getting in.

You might not have a chance of paying for it, however, since the annual cost is averaged out to $61,731. Drexel is renowned for their internship programs where many students get on the job training while still enrolled. You’ll want to take advantage of those to set yourself up with a high paying job once school is done— to get rid of all of that student loan debt.

Notable Alumni: Christopher Ferguson, Paul W. Richards, and Maxfield Parrish.

#8 – Oberlin College – Oberlin, OH ($61,788/Year)

Oberlin is the only college on the list from Ohio. It is also the first college that allowed women and minorities through its doors. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise though, since this liberal arts college has always listed progress as their main goal. There are only two courses of study at Oberlin, one is music and the other is arts and science.

Oberlin costs $61,788 per year, and has one of the cheapest boarding costs on the list. Ohio isn’t a very expensive place to live compared to the Chicago area or New York City. Still, the experience and degree you get from Oberlin will put you up there with the rest of the nation’s students.

Notable Alumni: Sinclair Lewis, Thornton Wilder, and Liz Phair

#7 – Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, MD ($61,806/Year)

There are three ways in which you may know the name Johns Hopkins. You either; 1: Know of the school because it is so prestigious, B: Are a huge lacrosse fan, or C: Heard it mentioned in the movie “Step Brothers”. If you fall under number 1, then you might be a candidate for the school in Baltimore. But it will set you back a few bucks since it costs $61,806 per year of attendance.

Three dozen Nobel Prize winners have gone through the doors of Johns Hopkins, including president Woodrow Wilson. This private university stands at nearly 150 years old and was founded by anti-slavery activist Johns Hopkins (of course). It is also the only school in Maryland to appear on the list.

Notable Alumni: Michael Bloomberg, Woodrow Wilson, and John Astin.

#6 – Scripps College – Claremont, CA ($61,940/Year)

Scripps College is one of two schools west of the Mississippi River (we’ll get to the other one next), and one of the youngest at 89 years old. There are only 1,000 students enrolled at Scripps, which is a liberal arts college for women only.

The campus is one of the most beautiful in the nation. The architect of the school wanted to replicate the colonial style that was found in Spanish culture. Students here will have to pay $61,940 per year, but get to live in gorgeous California on a beautiful campus. The education isn’t half bad, either.

Notable Alumni: Gabrielle Giffords, China Chow, and Serena Altschul.

#5 – University of Southern California – Los Angeles, CA ($62,031/Year)

The other school in the west resides in sunny Los Angeles, and is probably the most recognizable on the list to football fans. The University of Southern California (also referred to as USC or Southern Cal) was founded in 1880 and has a huge enrollment of 41,000 students. This makes it one of the largest private schools in the entire United States.

The main rival of USC is UCLA, which also resides in the Los Angeles area. USC is the far more expensive of the two at $62,031 per year. It can be pretty hard to get any studying done with the glitz of Hollywood and the beaches near the campus, but many have found their way through it. Since there’s no in-state tuition for private schools, many make the trip from around the country to attend USC.

Notable Alumni: Steven Spielberg, Will Ferrell, and Neil Armstrong.

#4 – Dartmouth College – Hanover, NH ($62,337/Year)

Dartmouth has an instantly recognizable name as one of the most prestigious Ivy League schools in America. The college is among the oldest in the nation and was founded in 1769. Before the United States officially became a country, there were nine colleges and Dartmouth was one of them. Only around 10 percent of applicants will get into this school that has a long waiting list.

New Hampshire isn’t really the state that most 18 year olds want to go to, but when a degree from Dartmouth is the result of living in the small New England state, then it’s worth it. It better be worth it, after all, since tuition costs $62,337 per year. That is, if you can get into Dartmouth in the first place.

Notable Alumni: Dr. Seuss, Michael Moriarty, and Robert Frost.

#3 – Columbia University – New York City, NY ($63,440/Year)

Columbia is the final of our Ivy League schools on the list. It has one of the lowest acceptance rates in the world at just under seven percent. That’s right, for every 100 students that apply to Columbia, only seven will get in. That’s insane, but not as insane as how much you have to pay each year, since the cost is $63,440.

You also have to be a genius (or incredibly well connected) to make it into Columbia, as it was ranked as the fourth smartest university in the nation. If you can get into Columbia in the first place, there’s a good chance that you were intelligent enough to get a scholarship or rich enough to avoid student loan debt. Either way, you are set for life after attending Columbia.

Notable Alumni: Barack Obama, Katie Holmes, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

#2 – New York University – New York City, NY ($63,472/Year)

There are only 11,000 students at New York University, but the school has one of the largest housing populations. Almost every student that attends NYU lives on campus, as it’s too hard to get to and from the school. The cost to attend NYU is $63,472 per year, but that’s pretty much what rent costs in New York City, so the degree is a bonus.

NYU has become one of the best known schools for producing stars in the entertainment industry. Countless actors, directors, musicians, and more have made their way through NYU, despite the high price tag. If you’ve ever wanted to get onto Saturday Night Live, then NYU is probably the school you’ll most want to consider.

Notable Alumni: Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, and Billy Crystal.

#1 – University of Chicago – Chicago, IL ($63,585/Year)

The University of Chicago is the second school on the list in Illinois, but takes the first spot in terms of expenses. Founded in 1890, The University of Chicago was mainly funded by John Rockefeller (the oil titan from the 19th century.) Only 8 percent of applicants get into this university, and most of them find success after their school days are finished.

Each year, students pay an average of $63,585 to go to the University of Chicago. The buildings on campus aren’t the oldest in Chicago but they sure look that way, despite being maintained beautifully. Unlike Northwestern University, you don’t have to take a train into the city, you can just walk there. And just like the other 19, this school is private. So unless you have rich parents, you’re going to have to start saving money from your paper route and study instead of hanging out with the other kids.

Notable Alumni: Larry Ellison, Roger Ebert, and David Rockefeller.