<p>For the first time ever, the government is ranking American colleges and universities by affordability.</p>
<p>Using a new interactive tool launched by the Department of Education, students and parents can search public and private colleges by not only their published tuition prices, but also by their "net price" -- the average costs after tuition, room and board, book fees and financial aid are all taken into consideration.</p>
<p>The tool, called the College Affordability and Transparency Center, was mandated by education reforms passed by Congress in 2008, and is meant to reveal the true costs of going to college.</p>
<p>Here are the 10 most expensive schools, ranked by net price for the 2008-2009 academic year -- the most recent data available. We included only colleges in the 50 U.S. states with undergraduate enrollments of 5,000 or more.</p>
<p>The list basically names a group of overpriced, undistinguished schools that burden its students with "aid" in the form of huge loans. This is embarrassing for NYU and is probably not a list it wants to appear on. I'm not surprised though.</p>
<p>Calling loans "financial aid" is like calling ketchup a vegetable in school menus.</p>
<p>I’ve seen a great deal of press regarding this “government” project. The results are superficial at best. The press by “picking” on the top 10 colleges in one or another category suggests that “other” similar colleges are significantly less expensive. In fact the differences between colleges on the top of the government list and colleges further down is small. Regional variations, and accounting for mandatory fees versus expenses wash out the variations in price.</p>
<p>College is expensive. There is no simple answer to reducing costs, except by lowering quality – i.e. class size, and course offerings. The government can help by increasing its share of college costs – as by allowing deductions for college education and college loan payments.</p>
<p>I have a feeling that one of the next bubbles to burst is college tuition. Rates have gone up at a rate which outstrips inflation and cannot realistically continue to rise at these rates.</p>
<p>I you believe in this ranking , you might also believe the USNWR rankings which place NYU at #33 in National Universities with one of the nation’s top performing arts schools (Tisch) as well as one of the top business schools (Stern). Not my definition of “undistinguished”.</p>
<p>I doubt that this is embarrassing for NYU. </p>
<p>There are several good schools on this list. If you think that any of them are overpriced no one is forcing you to apply.</p>
<p>NYU, as good as it is, is an incredibly expensive investment. It doesn’t meet all need, it meets it in the form of loans, and it costs for a full education a good 50k more than other schools. </p>
<p>The only thing common about these schools is their very expensive locations.</p>
<p>These schools are only unaffordable to those who can’t afford them,many people have no problem paying that costs…they also have no problem filling their classes</p>
<p>All fine schools, but ones not everyone can afford … not a big surprise, and not something that should put them on anyone’s “bad list.” I think this is an unfair list. A savvy consumer is a good thing, but the facts that lots of folks can’t afford the schools & the schools don’t meet need (or promise to do so, as far as I know) don’t make them bad buys for those who can afford them.</p>
<p>I look at my money as there to be used as I deem acceptable for my family. I have friends who would not spend their money on their kids’ educations as I have through the years. That is fine. However, I did it … I don’t regret it … and those who consider the fact that I paid more than CC tuition (and paid for housing) a waste of money are entitled to their opinions. If I had $50,000 a year to pay for a school and paid it, it would not be a waste of money to me … I would not pay it if I didn’t have it (for the record, I don’t, but if I did …).</p>
<p>Again, these schools are only “too expensive” if they are too expensive for the individual/family to afford.</p>
<p>Funny that St. Joe’s is on there. My school practically requires everyone to apply there because the merit based grants are so plentiful. About 10% of each graduating class goes there.</p>
<p>The list depends on “average” net price, but all that really matters to an applicant is how much the school is going to cost their family. For a National Merit Finalist, Northeastern, Drexel and Fordham are an excellent deal. Posters on CC have done well with merit money from Santa Clara. And I’d bet that for every other school listed that some CC reader would say that they got the best FA offer from that “least affordable” school.</p>
<p>I’ve never seen the value of ranking schools using, as part of costs, some “average” financial aid. Most people don’t get the average. For people who get tons of aid or none at all, and many in between, that ranking is irrelevant. If two schools cost $55,000 a year, one gives fabulous financial aid and one is known to be stingy, but neither one is giving any aid to me, they both cost the same and are equally unaffordable.</p>
<p>I hope they didn’t spend too much money on this study, I’d guess the data is different for every applicant.</p>
<p>Agree with Kelsmom: "…these schools are only “too expensive” if they are too expensive for the individual/family to afford. "</p>
<p>In our house, we like to spend our money on education. The kids didn’t go to the schools that offered them the most money, they went to the schools that offered them the best program of interest and the best fit. </p>
<p>Yes, one of them is on this list. But the extras that are impossible to quantify are completely worth the cost.</p>
<p>Note, they did give our student a scholarship with no strings attached, so our cost is not what is reflected in the study.</p>
A lot of homes don’t have that luxury. I’m lucky that I’ll have the opportunity to pick and choose among the schools I like. That in mind I would be wary before choosing these schools unless I am offered good merit aid, I would rather not have my parents dish out another 50k for–let’s be honest–an urban experience.</p>
<p>All of these schools, except for possibly NYU, are very pricey for their profile. I would have a hard time justifying my parents paying the 56k tuition for Northeastern when Tufts down the road costs the same amount. </p>
<p>However, if you think the Northeastern U. experience is worth that much, go ahead.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that everyone should have a list that includes safety’s and reaches both academically and financially. Applicants need to be consumer aware and look at ALL factors including cost and possible financial aid prior to applying. There is nothing worse than hearing about a kid who got into his/her dream school and then found it was unaffordable. As long as you are aware of all of the factors before applying, there are no surprises. Yes, those schools on the list are expensive, but there are hundreds of other schools out there that are just not all that far behind in terms of cost. We are not in a position to send our kids to any school that their hearts desire, but we were very upfront with our kids about what we could afford so that they could be realistic about where they applied. That is not to say we didn’t throw a few schools that were beyond our means into the mix in hopes of some great financial aid, but our kids were aware that option was only open if such aid were awarded (not loans, but scholarship money). However, for those who apply to the schools on the “list” above and are accepted and can afford to go either straight out or with financial awards, more power to them- they will get great educations!</p>