Top 20 Colleges with no application fees in the USA

These days, it’s not only expensive to study in a college, but it’s also expensive to submit an application for admission. Most colleges charge application fees in the $40-75 range, but they can sometimes be as high as $90 (e.g. Stanford). The majority of students consider this application fee as a stumbling block in their educational career.

Colleges set a higher application fee to avoid receiving thousands of applications. Moreover, application fees for colleges are increased in cost every year. Many students are not able to pay an application fee.

Why would a college have no application fees in the USA?

The reason why colleges do not charge a fee to apply is to increase applicants. This is a marketing strategy. They want students to see that they are open and fair and you should apply to their school as there is no fee. This increases their applicant pool which allows them to be more selective.

So, not all the colleges charge application fees. Some top-ranked colleges declared that they will not charge an application fee to students applying for admission through their online platform. Now, students have an option to apply in top colleges without application fees.

Below is the list of some highly ranked colleges with no application fees that you might take into account in your college search process:

1. Carleton College

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a private liberal arts college located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota. Best known for its academic excellence and welcoming campus community, the college offers close to 40 undergraduate majors. The most popular majors include computer science, biology, international relations, and economics.

 Though the college has no application fee the acceptance rate is quite high with only 21%.

Carleton is among the nation’s top universities at producing scholars, with Carleton graduates having won 138 Fulbright scholarships, 24 Watson Fellowships and one Rhodes Scholarship since 2000.

Carleton College’s ranking

#1 Best Colleges with No Application Fee in America.

# 16 in Forbes Top Colleges.

#7 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

2. United States Military Academy at West Point–

West Point is an elite public college located in Highlands, New York. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 4,491 undergraduate students. Even though there is no application fee, admissions are extremely competitive as the West Point acceptance rate is only 10%. Popular majors include Business, Mechanical Engineering and Systems Engineering. Tuition for cadets is fully funded by the Army in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation.

United States Military Academy at West Point’s ranking

#2 Best Colleges with No Application Fee in America.

#4 in Top Public Universities in America

3. Wellesley College–

Founded in 1870, Wellesley is a highly rated private women’s liberal arts college located in Wellesley, Massachusetts in the Boston Area. One of the most academically challenging institutions of higher education in the country and widely acknowledged as the nation’s top women’s college,  it is a small institution with an enrollment of 2,374 undergraduate students. Admission is competitive as the Wellesley acceptance rate is 28%. Popular majors include Economics, Biology, and Research and Experimental Psychology.

Wellesley College’s ranking

 #3 Best Colleges with No Application Fee in America.

 #2 in Best Women’s College in America

#3 in 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

4. Colby College–

Colby College is one of America’s oldest and most selective liberal arts colleges located in Waterville, Maine. This private institution was founded in 1813. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,000 students. The most popular majors are biology, economics, English, history, global studies, government, and psychology.

 Serving only undergraduates, Colby offers an academic program rooted in the deep exploration of ideas with Colby’s world-class faculty. Admission is quite competitive as the acceptance rate is only 16%.

Colby College’s ranking

#11 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

#17 in Best Small Colleges in America.

5. Smith College –

Smith College is a highly rated private and one of the largest independent women’s liberal arts colleges in the United States. It was founded in 1871. Located in Northampton, Massachusetts, it is a small institution with an enrollment of 2,505 undergraduate students. Although its undergraduate programs are open to women only, it’s graduate and certificate programs are also open to men.

 Admission is fairly competitive as the Smith acceptance rate is 32%. Popular majors include Research and Experimental Psychology, Economics, Political Science and Government.

Smith College’s ranking

 #3 in Best Women’s Colleges in America

#11 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

6. Grinnell College–

Founded in 1846, Grinnell is a highly rated private college located in Grinnell, Iowa. Known for its rigorous academics and innovative pedagogy, it is a small institution with an enrollment of 1,662 undergraduate students. Admission is competitive as the Grinnell acceptance rate is 29%. Popular majors include Economics, Political Science and Government, and Computer Science.

Former Grinnell students have also gone on to work for renowned companies like Amazon, Facebook, IBM, Google, and Goldman Sachs.

Grinnell College’s ranking

#1 in Best Colleges in Iowa.

#14 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

7. Kenyon College–

Kenyon College is the oldest, private liberal arts college that was founded in 1824 and is located in Gambier, Ohio. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 1,734 undergraduate students. Admission is fairly competitive as the Kenyon acceptance rate is 34%. Popular majors include English, Economics, and Political Science and Government.

Kenyon College’s ranking

#1 in Best Colleges in Ohio.

#27 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

8. Reed College-

Founded in 1908, it is a reputed private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. Reed is known for its academic rigor and intellectual students. Admission is fairly competitive as its acceptance rate is 36%. Reed offers 40 majors, of which 15 are interdisciplinary. Despite its small student body, Reed has produced 32 Rhodes scholars. The median starting salary of alumni is $52,800. Many Reed alumni gain employment at the top companies including Apple, whose founder Steve Jobs attended Reed before dropping out.

Reed College’s ranking

#1 Best college in Oregon

#68 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

9. St. Olaf College–

St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota that was founded in 1874. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,048 students. Admission is fairly competitive as the St. Olaf acceptance rate is 43%. Popular majors include Biology, Economics, and Psychology. Students can even design their own majors.

St. Olaf College’s ranking

#5 in Best Christian Colleges in America.

#62 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

10. Oberlin College –

Oberlin is a private liberal arts college located in Oberlin, Ohio. Oberlin consists of two units: the College of Arts and Science and the Conservatory of Music. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 2,790 undergraduate students. Admission is fairly competitive as the Oberlin acceptance rate is 34%. It offers over 50 majors. Popular majors include Music Performance, Biology and Political Science and Government.

Oberlin College’s ranking

#5 in Best Colleges in Ohio.

#33 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

11. Gustavus Adolphus College-

Located in St. Peters, Minnesota; Gustavus Adolphus College is a private, residential liberal arts college that was founded in 1862. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2240 students. The college offers more than 70 majors; the most popular are communication studies, biology, and political science. Admission is fairly competitive as the acceptance rate is 68%.

Gustavus Adolphus College’s ranking

#12 in Best Christian Colleges in America.

#89 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

12. Rhodes College-

Rhodes College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee that was founded in 1848. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2008 students and offers over 50 majors. It also allows students to customize their own major if they are unable to find a major that meets their specific interests. Its acceptance rate is 51%.

Rhodes College’s ranking

#2 in Best College in Tennessee

#13 in Best Christian Colleges in America.

#21 in Best Colleges with No Application Fee in America.

#53 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

13. Luther College-

Founded in 1861, it is a private, Christian liberal art college in Decorah, Iowa. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,014 students. One of the outstanding undergraduate institutions, it offers more than 60 majors. Admission is somewhat competitive as the Luther acceptance rate is 65%. Popular majors include Biology, Business, Music, History, and Literature.

Luther College’s ranking

#2 in Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa.

#19 in Best Christian Colleges in America.

#100 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges

14. The College of Wooster-

The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio. It is the nation’s premier college for mentored undergraduate research and enrolls around 2,000 students. Admission is fairly competitive as the Wooster acceptance rate is 56%. Popular majors include Psychology, English, Political Science, and Government.

The College of Wooster’s ranking

#4 in Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio

#58 in the Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America

15. Hendrix College-

Hendrix is a private, Christian liberal arts college located in Conway, Arkansas. Also recognized among America’s best and most innovative college, it is a small institution with an enrollment of 1,228 undergraduate students. Admission is not so competitive as the Hendrix acceptance rate is 80%. Popular majors include Psychology, Biology, and Economics.

Hendrix College’s ranking

#2 in Best Colleges in Arkansas

#26 in Best Christian Colleges in America.

#92 in the 2020 edition of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.

16. Lewis & Clark College-

Lewis & Clark is a private liberal arts college located in Portland, Oregon. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 2,067 undergraduate students. Admission is somewhat competitive as the Lewis & Clark acceptance rate is 71%. It offers nearly 30 majors, the popular of which are Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Biology, and International Affairs.

Lewis & Clark College’s ranking

#2 in Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Oregon

#65 in the Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America

18. Connecticut College-

Connecticut College is a private college located in New London, Connecticut with an enrollment of 1,766 undergraduate students. Admission is fairly competitive as the Connecticut College acceptance rate is 38%. Students can choose from 41 majors. Popular majors include Economics, Psychology, Neuroscience, and Neurobiology.

Connecticut College’s ranking

19. Millsaps College-

Millsaps is a private, Christian college located in Jackson, Mississippi. Recognized for its strengths in liberal arts and business, it is a small institution with an enrollment of 798 undergraduate students. Its professors are also ranked among the best in the nation. Admission is fairly competitive as the Millsaps acceptance rate is 49%. Popular majors include Business, Biology, and Accounting.

Millsaps College’s ranking 

#1 in Best Value Colleges in Mississippi

#33 in Best Christian Colleges in America.

#69 in the Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America

20. College of the Ozarks–

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian liberal arts college located in Point Lookout, Missouri with an enrollment of 1,565 undergraduate students. It charges no tuition fees as students are awarded work scholarships to pay for their education. Admission is extremely competitive as the College of the Ozarks acceptance rate is 13%. Popular majors include Business, Public Relations, and Agricultural Business.

College of the Ozarks’ ranking

#3 in Best Value Colleges in Missouri

#14 Best Colleges for Criminal Justice in America

#32 Best Colleges for Agricultural Sciences in America

# 34 Best Christian Colleges in America

Conclusion

Of course, America is a big country and I’ve only listed out few colleges with no admission fee but these are highly reputed colleges all over the U.S. If I were to mention about all colleges the list would just go on and on so I kept it specific just limiting to best 20. But that doesn’t mean you compromise to study in your dream college just for avoiding the application fees because that would probably not be a wise idea because you have to look at cost vs. long term benefits.

So while the above colleges may be cheap to apply, there is nothing invaluable about the education you will receive.