It’s one of the age-old debates of higher education — should you go to a public or private college? While there are plenty of pros and cons for each choice, perhaps the most integral factor in making the decision is simple: money.
But which private schools make the biggest dent in students’ savings accounts?
Using data from the 2014-2015 school year provided by the U.S. Department of Education, StartClass identified the 25 most expensive private colleges in the country, based on the cost of tuition for full-time undergraduate students.
George Washington University was the only D.C.-area school to make the list at No. 8.
Also included below — each school’s Smart Rating — a comprehensive score that evaluates each college on a scale of 0-100 in order to rate the overall quality. The Smart Rating is determined based on the following factors: financial affordability, career readiness, admissions selectivity, expert opinion and academic excellence.
#25. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Smart Rating: 96
2014-2015 Tuition: $47,908
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,452
#24. Hampshire College
Smart Rating: 80
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,065
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,492
#23. Dartmouth College
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,108
Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,276
#22. Colgate University
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,175
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,890
#21. Bard College
Smart Rating: 85
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,240
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,014
#20. Wesleyan University
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,272
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,906
#19. University of Southern California
Smart Rating: 96
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,280
Undergraduate Enrollment: 18,445
#18. Tulane University of Louisiana
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,305
Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,290
#17. Williams College
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,310
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,096
#16. Union College
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,384
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,246
#15. Bucknell University
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,498
Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,532
#14. Franklin and Marshall College
Smart Rating: 90
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,514
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,297
#13. Amherst College
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,526
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,785
#12. Bard College at Simon’s Rock
Smart Rating: 79
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,551
Undergraduate Enrollment: 350
#11. Harvey Mudd College
Smart Rating: 96
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,594
Undergraduate Enrollment: 807
#10. Tufts University
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,643
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,180
#9. Oberlin College
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,682
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,894
#8. George Washington University
Smart Rating: 95
2014-2015 Tuition: $48,760
Undergraduate Enrollment: 10,357
#7. Carnegie Mellon University
Smart Rating: 97
2014-2015 Tuition: $49,022
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,917
#6. Trinity College
Smart Rating: 94
2014-2015 Tuition: $49,056
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,301
#5. University of Chicago
Smart Rating: 98
2014-2015 Tuition: $49,380
Undergraduate Enrollment: 5,703
#4. Vassar College
Smart Rating: 96
2014-2015 Tuition: $49,570
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,477
#3. Landmark College
Smart Rating: 65
2014-2015 Tuition: $50,080
Undergraduate Enrollment: 494
#2. Sarah Lawrence College
Smart Rating: 89
2014-2015 Tuition: $50,780
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,471
#1. Columbia University in the City of New York
Smart Rating: 98
2014-2015 Tuition: $51,008
Undergraduate Enrollment: 7,970