<p>How much money is your family actually making? Top schools like Yale or Princeton might be more affordable for you than lower schools, if you are in the 100-180k range. Most will expect you to pay most of the money, while Yale or Princeton will have an expected contribution of 15000-35000 (depending on the income and you family’s assets). Don’t just ignore them because you think they are elite schools and unnecessary. If they are cheaper, they may make sense over a lower ranked school for that reason alone.</p>