Nowadays, it’s not only expensive to go to college; it can also cost a lot to apply. College applications have increased in cost. In fact, the average college application fee at four-year, non-profit colleges is about $50, according to research.com. Some college application fees are upwards of $80!
And, for students with limited funds, it can be financially cumbersome to apply to several schools. After all, $50 spent on an application is $50 that could go towards paying for tuition. With that, students should consider applying to colleges that do not have application fees.
The good news is that there are plenty of institutions that recognize that the application fee costs are expensive and no longer charge fees for their applications. Many colleges may even have a declared application fee but will waive the charge for students who apply online, usually utilizing the Common Application.
The Common Application is available at more than 1,000 colleges and universities. It allows students applying to college to fill out and submit one application for multiple schools.
Students can even apply for a Common Application fee waiver. According to the Common Application website, "If you feel that your financial circumstances might qualify you for an application fee waiver, you can request a fee waiver in the Common Application Fee Waiver section in the Profile section."
Using list from Niche, we’ve curated a list of the top 33 colleges that don’t have application fees.
Colleges with No Application Fees
- Wellesley College – Wellesley, Massachusetts
- Tulane University – New Orleans, Louisiana
- Macalester College – Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Trinity University – San Antonio, Texas
- Colby College – Waterville, Maine
- Carleton College – Northfield, Minnesota
- Grinnell College – Grinnell, Iowa
- Smith College – Northampton, Massachusetts
- National University - La Jolla, California
- Colorado College – Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Reed College – Portland, Oregon
- Michigan Technological University – Houghton, Michigan
- Kenyon College – Gambier, Ohio
- Mount Holyoke College – South Hadley, Massachusetts
- University of Dayton – Dayton, Ohio
- Wheaton College – Wheaton, Illinois
- Bryn Mawr College - Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
- Wabash College – Crawfordsville, Indiana
- New Mexico Tech – Socorro, New Mexico
- St. Olaf College – Northfield, Minnesota
- Furman University - Greenville, South Carolina
- Hendrix College - Conway, Arkansas
- Worcester Polytechnic University – Worcester, Massachusetts
- Biola University - La Mirada, California
- Eastern New Mexico University - Portalas, New Mexico
- Florida Institute of Technology - Melbourne, Florida
- Denison University – Granville, Ohio
- Illinois Wesleyan University - Bloomington, Illinois
- Saint Louis University – St. Louis, Missouri
- Creighton University – Omaha, Nebraska
- Dickinson College - Carlisle, Pennsylvania
- University of St. Thomas – Saint Paul, Minnesota
- St. Catherine University - Saint Paul, Minnesota