The Colleges Now Charging Near $100K a Year

For a long time, $50,000 a year felt like the threshold that would shock families into conversation. Then it was $60,000. Then $70,000. We are now watching some of the country's most selective private universities approach $100,000 in total annual cost of attendance — and the pace is not slowing.

George Washington University published its 2026-27 tuition rates in April, setting undergraduate tuition at $72,000 — up 3 percent from the prior year. Add mandatory fees of $770 (which include unlimited Metrorail and Metrobus access in Washington, D.C.), plus housing and dining for new first-year students set at $18,160, and the base direct cost is $90,930.¹

Factor in books, transportation, and personal expenses — what financial aid offices call indirect costs — and GWU's estimated total cost of attendance for a first-year student reaches $95,155. Returning students, who may have different housing arrangements or higher dining costs, could pay close to $98,000.²

GWU Is Not an Outlier

USC announced a tuition increase for 2026-27 that will push its cost of attendance above $100,000. USC President Beong-Soo Kim described the increase as "the smallest percentage in more than 45 years," which underlines how the compounding effect of annual increases works: even a small percentage on an already high base produces large absolute-dollar jumps.

Fordham University announced a 4.5 percent tuition increase for 2026-27, along with a 3 percent increase in room and board fees. Other private universities across the country are averaging 2 to 3 percent annual increases, according to national projections.

The headline number matters less than what it signals about the trajectory. These prices do not plateau. Families looking at a student entering college in 2027 or 2028 should plan for costs that are higher than today's published rates.

What the Sticker Price Does Not Tell You

Here is the thing about a $95,000 or $100,000 sticker price: most students at these schools do not pay it.

Highly selective private universities — the ones charging the highest sticker prices — also tend to offer the most substantial institutional aid. Many have billion-dollar endowments and aggressive no-loan or low-loan financial aid policies for families below certain income thresholds.

At GWU, as at most private universities, the published tuition is what a student pays only if they receive zero institutional grant aid. For families with household incomes below $75,000, many elite schools cover full demonstrated need. For middle-income families, the calculus is more complicated — too much income to qualify for maximum grants, not enough to comfortably pay full freight.

The only way to know what you would actually pay is to use the net price calculator on each school's website. These calculators are required by law and give you a personalized estimate based on your family's financial profile — not the sticker price. Run it before you cross any school off your list based on the published number.

The Gap Between Sticker Price and Net Price

How much college actually costs depends on the gap between the published cost of attendance and the grants and scholarships a student receives.

At colleges with the best financial aid, that gap can be enormous. Schools with large endowments sometimes meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need with grants — no loans, no work-study required. A $95,000 sticker price at one of these schools can result in a net cost lower than a $30,000-sticker-price state school that offers little institutional aid.

For families where the net price still exceeds what you can manage, there are options:

• Merit scholarships: Many private colleges award significant merit aid to students outside their need-based system. Our scholarship strategy guide covers how to find and compete for these awards.
• Financial aid appeals: If your family's financial circumstances have changed — job loss, medical expenses, a sibling also in college — you have the right to ask for a re-evaluation. The financial aid appeal letter guide walks through how to do this.
• Reading the award letter carefully: Colleges include loans in aid packages in ways that can obscure what you are actually being given versus what you would borrow. Our guide to decoding your financial aid award letter explains how to separate grants from loans.

Do not confuse cost of attendance with tuition alone. The hidden costs of college — course fees, lab fees, technology fees, transportation, books, and personal expenses — can add $5,000 to $15,000 on top of tuition and room and board. When comparing schools, always compare total cost of attendance, not tuition lines.

The Room and Board Factor

At GWU, the housing and dining cost for new first-year students is set at $18,160 for 2026-27 — a $560 increase over the prior year.¹ Room and board is often where families underestimate costs. Our room and board guide covers the real range of housing and dining expenses, including what happens when students move off-campus in later years.

At urban schools like GWU, USC, and NYU, off-campus housing in the surrounding neighborhood is often more expensive than the university's own residence halls, not less — the opposite of what families sometimes assume.

What to Do If Your School Is on This List

If you have already received an admission offer from a school with a high sticker price:

1. Run the net price calculator if you have not yet — or ask the financial aid office what your package would look like
2. Compare the net price, not the sticker price, across every school on your list
3. Look at the average cost of college per year nationally to contextualize where your offers land
4. If the net price is still out of reach, use the appeal process before making a final decision
5. Consider whether a lower-cost alternative — including a flagship state school with merit scholarships — gets you to the same outcome for significantly less money

The $95,000 headline is real. Whether it is what you actually pay depends almost entirely on your financial situation and the specific aid offer you receive.

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Footnotes

1. George Washington University. (2026). 2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition Rates Announced. GW Today. https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/2026-2027-academic-year-tuition-rates-announced ↩ ↩²

2. Gross, J. (2026, April 2). Some GWU students to pay over $98,000 for 2026-27 year, estimate shows. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/04/02/george-washington-university-tuition-increase/ ↩