Top 10+ Best Colleges For Poor Students In The US
 |
| Best Colleges For Low-Income Students In The US |
| Table of Contents |
Many students face significant financial challenges when selecting a college. The thought of paying for each semester or taking out student loans can be daunting—but, while college is expensive, there are numerous funding options available to low-income students.
In this post, KnowInsiders.com look at some excellent college options for low-income students, including programs that provide full scholarships!
♦ Check More: Top 20+ Colleges in the US Where Students Don’t Pay Tuition
Top 10+ Best Colleges For Poor Students In The US Today
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Cambridge, MA
Tuition: $51,832
Acceptance: 7%
SAT Score: 1500-1570
ACT Score: 34-36
QuestBridge Partner Schools include MIT. QuestBridge is a college scholarship program for academically gifted students from low-income families. These students will be able to "match" with one of 40 top universities. Matched students are provided with a full ride for all four years, which includes tuition, transportation, books, and other expenses.
According to the private research university, roughly 60% of all undergraduate students at MIT come from low-income families.
MIT ensures that students from families earning less than $140,000 per year and with typical assets receive scholarships that allow them to attend tuition-free.
READ MORE: Top 25+ Countries Where College Tuition is Free or Low-Cost
2. Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville, TN
Tuition: $49,816
Acceptance: 10%
SAT Score: 1450-1560
ACT Score: 33-35
Vanderbilt University is a private university in Nashville, Tennessee, with a beautiful campus. It is a highly regarded college, ranked 12th in the United States, with a 10% acceptance rate. It has a medium-sized student body of 7,145 undergraduate students enrolled full-time. Vanderbilt University offers 61 majors in four disciplines.
Applicants should be aware that a high school transcript is required for application and that the SAT or ACT is required for your application to be considered. It also receives approximately $14,355 in research funding per student.
3. Yale University
Location: New Haven, CT
Tuition: $55,500
Acceptance: 6%
SAT Score: 1460-1570
ACT Score: 33-35
Yale University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, ranking third in the United States overall. According to the top-tier institution, its most generous financial aid package allows undergraduate students to attend for free if their family's annual income is less than $75,000 and they have typical assets. The Ivy League provides need-based aid to some students from families earning more than $200,000 per year.
4. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, NJ
Tuition: $50,340
Acceptance: 5%
SAT Score: 1440-1570
ACT Score: 32-35
Princeton University is roughly midway between Philadelphia and New York City. This university provides educational opportunities in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. Princeton students live in one of six residential colleges, which serve as both housing and a social outlet. Tuition is free for students whose families earn less than $100,000 per year, as are many other college-related costs, including room and board.
5. Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, MA
Tuition: $50,420
Acceptance: 5%
SAT Score: 1460-1580
ACT Score: 33-35
Harvard is on the list of colleges that meet 100% of students' needs. Colleges that meet 100% of demonstrated need will pay the difference between the cost of attendance and your family's EFC. You will receive grants (which do not have to be repaid) and loans as part of your financial aid package. You may be expected to contribute to meeting this need through a work-study program in some cases.
6. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA
Acceptance rate: 4%
Tuition: $51,354
Student population: 17,680
Stanford University, often mistaken for an Ivy League institution, reports that nearly half of its undergraduates receive financial aid.
It goes on to say that students from families earning less than $150,000 per year and with assets typical of that income level can attend tuition-free. Tuition and room and board are also free for families earning less than $100,000 per year.
7. Duke University
Location: Durham, NC
Tuition: $55,695
Acceptance: 9%
SAT Score: 1450-1570
ACT Score: 33-35
Duke University offers the best financial aid to low-income families. It is a prestigious private Christian university in Durham, North Carolina, near Raleigh. It is a medium-sized university with a total enrollment of 6,669 undergraduate students. Duke's acceptance rate is only 9%, making admissions extremely competitive. Computer Science, Economics, and Public Policy Analysis are popular majors. Duke graduates 96% of their students and their starting salary is $76,300.
8. Rice University
Location: Houston, TX
Tuition: $47,350
Acceptance: 11%
SAT Score: 1450-1560
ACT Score: 33-35
Rice University, which is ranked #15 in the nation by US News, announced in 2018 that undergraduate students from families earning less than $130,000 per year would pay no tuition. This is part of the Rice Investment financial aid program, which is also intended to help reduce the burden of student debt.
9. Pomona College
Location: Claremont, CA
Tuition: $52,780
Acceptance: 8%
SAT Score: 1400-1540
ACT Score: 31-34
Pomona College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California, with a beautiful campus. It is a highly regarded college, ranked 13th in the United States, with extremely competitive admissions (8% acceptance rate). It is a small college with 1,499 undergraduate students enrolled full-time. Its most popular major is a Bachelor's degree in Economics, which is pursued by 13% of the student body. Mathematics (12% of students) and computer science ( 10% of students) are two other popular majors. It has a top-tier art program that is ranked fourth in the country.
10. California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, CA
Tuition: $52,362
Acceptance: 7%
SAT Score: 1530-1580
ACT Score: 35-36
Caltech is a prestigious private university in Pasadena, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is a small university with 961 undergraduate students enrolled.
California Institute of Technology is one of the universities where low-income students earn the most. After graduation, low-income students earn less money than their wealthier peers. In fact, students from low-income households earn $47,400 per year on average 10 years after enrolling in college, compared to $61,968 for students from the highest-income bracket.
Best colleges with cheapest tuition in the US
| Top 10 colleges with the cheapest in-state tuition | Yearly tuition (in state) |
|---|---|
| 1. US Merchant Marine Academy | $1,095 |
| 2. Elizabeth City State University | $3,260 |
| 3. University of North Carolina at Pembroke | $3,456 |
| 4. Dalton State College | $3,683 |
| 5. College of Coastal Georgia | $3,933 |
| 6. Middle Georgia State University | $4,060 |
| 7. University of Arkansas System eVersity | $4,200 |
| 8. Western Carolina University | $4,285 |
| 9. Brigham Young University – Idaho | $4,300 |
| 10. The University of Texas Permian Basin | $4,837 |
| Colleges with the cheapest out-of-state tuition | Yearly tuition (out-of-state) |
|---|---|
| 1. United States Merchant Marine Academy | $1,095 |
| 2. University of Arkansas System eVersity | $4,200 |
| 3. Brigham Young University-Idaho | $4,300 |
| 4. Urshan College | $5,556 |
| 5. Columbia Southern University | $5,775 |
| 6. Brigham Young University-Hawaii | $5,890 |
| 7. Brigham Young University | $5,970 |
| 8. City Vision University | $6,000 |
| 9. Pacific Islands University | $6,110 |
| 10. Manna University | $6,200 |
Best Colleges With Generous Financial Aid Programs In The US
| School | Location | Type of School |
| Amherst College | Amherst, MA | Liberal arts college |
| Barnard College | New York, NY | Liberal arts college |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA | Research university |
| Boston University | BU | Boston, MA | Research university |
| Bowdoin College | Brunswick, ME | Liberal arts college |
| Brown University | Providence, RI | Research university |
| California Institute of Technology | Caltech | Pasadena, CA | Research university |
| Carleton College | Northfield, MI | Liberal arts college |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH | Research university |
| Claremont McKenna College | CMC | Claremont, CA | Liberal arts college |
| Colby College | Waterville, ME | Liberal arts college |
| Colgate University | Hamilton, NY | Research university |
| College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross | Worcester, MA | Liberal arts college |
| Colorado College | Colorado, CO | Liberal arts college |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | Research university |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH | Research university |
| Davidson College | Davidson, NC | Liberal arts college |
| Denison University | Granville, OH | Liberal arts college |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | Research university |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | Research university |
| Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA | Liberal arts college |
| Hamilton College | Clinton, NY | Liberal arts college |
| Haverford College | Haverford, PA | Liberal arts college |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | Research university |
| Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN | Liberal arts college |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT | Cambridge, MA | Research University |
| Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT | Liberal arts college |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | Research university |
| Oberlin College | Oberlin, OH | Liberal arts college |
| Pomona College | Claremont, CA | Liberal arts college |
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | Research university |
| Rice University | Houston, TX | Research university |
| Scripps College | Claremont, CA | Liberal arts college |
| Smith College | North Hampton, MA | Liberal arts college |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | Research university |
| Swarthmore College | Swarthmore, PA | Liberal arts college |
| Tufts University | Medford, MA | Research university |
| The University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | Research university |
| University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IL | Research university |
| University of Pennsylvania | UPenn | Philadelphia, PA | Research university |
| University of Southern California | USC | Los Angeles, CA | Research university |
| University of Virginia | UVA | Charlottesville, VA | Research university |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | Research university |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY | Liberal arts college |
| Washington and Lee University | Lexington, VA | Liberal arts college |
| Washington University in St. Louis | WashU | Saint Louis, MO | Research university |
| Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA | Liberal arts college |
| Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT | Liberal arts college |
| Williams College | Williamstown, MA | Liberal arts college |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | Research university |
Wrapping up
It's a good thing that many colleges and universities offer tuition-free programs to students from low-income families. Despite rising tuitions, many of the most prestigious private schools remain affordable to even the poorest Americans.
Contrary to popular belief, research suggests that because of need-blind admissions and generous financial aid programs, the most selective colleges and universities are often the most affordable options for low-income families. However, many low-income families are intimidated by high published tuition rates and choose only schools that appear to be less expensive and less competitive.
 Top 15 Most Expensive Universities In the US 2023/2024 America is a country with many very expensive universities. According to US News and World Report, for the academic year 2022-2023, the average tuition and ... |
 Top 10 Priciest Colleges In The US - by Tuition Cost College is a little bit different in 2021, to say the least but tuition fees of some expensive colleges and universities in the US remain ... |
 Top 10 Law Schools With Lowest Tuition Costs in California 2023/2024 It can be expensive to find a good law school, so you might as well start by looking into less expensive options. Find the ten ... |
