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Colleges with the best financial aid programs

The Inspired Pathways team has compiled a list of 47 colleges offering the most generous financial aid programs in the nation. At these schools, students can attend tuition-free if they meet certain income requirements—some even cover the full cost of attendance for families earning up to $250,000 a year!

Public

  1. University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) – Go Blue Guarantee ≤ $125,000 (from Fall 2025)
  2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Illinois Commitment ≤ $75,000
  3. University of Virginia – Access UVA expansion ≤ $100,000 (Virginia residents)
  4. UNC Chapel Hill – Carolina Covenant ≈ ≤ $80,000 (North Carolina residents)
  5. University of Texas System – Promise Plus (9 campuses) ≤ $100,000 (Texas residents)
  6. Texas A&M University – Aggie Assurance ≤ $60,000
  7. University of Texas at Austin – Texas Advance Commitment ≤ $65,000 (Austin campus)
  8. Texas State University – Bobcat Promise ≤ $50,000
  9. University of Wisconsin–Madison – Bucky’s Tuition Promise ≤ $58,000 (Wisconsin residents)
  10. University of Washington – Washington College Grant ≈ ≤ $78,500 (family of 4) (WA residents)
  11. University of California (UC System) – Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan ≤ $80,000 (California residents)
  12. California (State) – Middle Class Scholarship 2.0 ≤ $100,000 (approx.)
  13. SUNY/CUNY (New York State) – Excelsior Scholarship ≤ $125,000 (New York residents)
  14. New Jersey Public 4–Year Colleges – Garden State Guarantee ≤ $65,000 (New Jersey residents)
  15. Arizona Public Universities – Arizona Promise / NAU Access2Excellence ≤ $65,000 (Arizona residents)
  16. Arkansas State University – A-State Promise Plus ≤ $70,000 (Arkansas residents)
  17. University of Arkansas – Little Rock – Trojan Guarantee Pell-eligible & Ark. Academic Challenge recipient (≈ incomes <$70K)
  18. University of Central Arkansas – UCA Commitment ≤ $100,000 (Arkansas residents)
  19. University of Oklahoma – Oklahoma’s Promise ≤ $60,000 (parent income at application)
  20. Tennessee Public Colleges – UT Promise / HOPE Scholarship ≤ $75,000 (Tennessee residents)

Private

  1. Washington University in St. Louis – WashU Pledge ≤ $75,000 (MO or southern IL residents)
  1. Harvard University (Harvard Financial Aid Initiative) ≤ $200,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $100,000 (full cost)
  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ≤ $200,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $100,000 (full cost)
  1. Princeton University ≤ $250,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $150,000 (full cost)
  1. University of Pennsylvania (Quaker Commitment) ≤ $200,000 (tuition-free)
  1. Yale University ≤ $150,000 (generally tuition-free); ≤ $75,000 (full cost)
  1. Columbia University ≤ $150,000 (tuition-free)
  1. Brown University ≤ $125,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $60,000 (full cost)
  1. Dartmouth College ≤ $125,000 (full cost)
  1. Rice University (The Rice Investment) ≤ $75,000 (full cost); ≤ $140,000 (free tuition); ≤ $200,000 (half tuition)
  1. Stanford University ≤ $150,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $100,000 (full cost)
  1. Duke University (Carolinas Initiative) ≤ $150,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $65,000 (full cost)
  1. New York University (NYU) (NYU Promise) ≤ $100,000 (tuition-free)
  1. University of Chicago (Odyssey Scholarship) ≤ $125,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $60,000 (full cost)
  1. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU Pathway) ≤ $75,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $100,000 (no loans)
  1. Brandeis University (Brandeis Commitment) ≤ $75,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $200,000 (half tuition)
  1. Northwestern University “Most” ≤ $150,000 (tuition-free); ≤ $70,000 (full cost)
  1. Tufts University (Tufts Tuition Pact) ≤ $150,000 (tuition-free)
  1. Mount Holyoke College (Commitment Program) ≤ $150,000 (tuition-free)
  1. Amherst College ≤ $67,500 (full cost)
  1. Colgate University (Colgate Commitment) ≤ $80,000 (tuition-free)
  1. Lehigh University (Lehigh Commitment) ≤ $75,000 (tuition-free)
  2. University of Notre Dame ≤ $75,000 (tuition-free) [^1]
  3. Reed College (The Reed Tuition Advantage) ≤ $100,000 (tuition-free)
  4. Berea College (No-Tuition Promise) No fixed cap (serves low-income only)
  1. Allegheny College (Commitment to Access Program) ≤ $50,000 (tuition-free)
  1. Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) (Concordia Promise) ≤ $90,000 (tuition-free)