The 10 most expensive universities in 2023

The cost to attend college has skyrocketed to historic levels over the past five decades. Two years ago, an analysis by My eLearning World revealed that pursuing higher education at a private school went from costing $2,930 per year in 1971 to $51,690 in 2021. This represents an increase of approximately 4.6 times the inflation rate of that same span.

The College Investor recently published a ranking of the most expensive colleges in 2023. Annual tuition at each of these centers exceeds $60,000 per year.

Top 10 most expensive universities in the country

1. Franklin & Marshall College: Located in Lancaster, Penn., it is touted as one of the oldest colleges in the country, founded in 1787 with a donation made by Benjamin Franklin. It specializes in liberal arts and offers 60 fields of study. It has only 2,400 students and tuition costs approximately $65,652 per year.

2. Columbia University: Located in New York and founded in 1754, it is the oldest university in the country according to The College Investor. It offers majors and minors in many different fields of study, ranging from anthropology to economics to journalism, and more. The acceptance rate is quite low (5.5%), and the annual cost of tuition is about $65,524.

3. Reed College: Founded in 1908, it is one of the newest colleges on this list. Located in Portland, Ore., it has about 40 bachelor of arts degree programs and has a student population of about 1,400. The cost of tuition is around $64,450 per year.

4. Vassar College: Located in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., it was founded in 1861. Specializing in the liberal arts, it is a small school, with only 2,500 students spread across 51 different majors. Its annual tuition cost is around $63,840.

5. Tufts University: located in Medford, Mass., it is ranked as one of the best liberal arts universities in the country. The cost of tuition is about $63,804 per year.

6. University of Southern California: USC is known as much for its academic programs as for its footbal team, which has been a historic powerhouse. It specializes in majors involving film and photography. The annual tuition cost is around $63,468.

7. Boston College: Founded in 1863, it is located in Boston. It offers undergraduate and graduate studies centered on its liberal arts programs. This school is one of the largest on this list, with a student population of 15,000. It also has one of the most prominent sports programs in the country. The cost of tuition is about $62,950 per year.

8. Haverford College: Founded in 1833 in Haverford, Penn., this liberal arts college focuses its education on discussion and debate of ideas. With only 1,400 students, it has more than 50 majors to choose from. Its annual tuition cost is about $62,850.

9. Brown University: Located in Providence, R.I., has an acceptance rate of only 7%. However, it has one of the best English literature schools in the country. Annually, the cost of tuition is around $62,680.

10. Harvey Mudd College: located in Claremont, Calif., it specializes in science, mathematics and information technology. Its engineering program, one of the best in the country, is especially noteworthy. Its STEM doctorates are also recognized worldwide. Its annual tuition cost is about $62,516.