Colleges With No Application Fee in 2024 – A Full List

The financial strain of applying to college can be overwhelming for prospective students. From the cost of standardized testing to travel expenses when visiting campuses, there are many small expenses that pile up during the admissions process.

In this guide, we will focus on college application fees, providing information about what they are and how to apply wisely as well as a complete list of colleges with no application fee in 2024.

What Are College Application Fees?

Many colleges charge application fees to cover the cost of the application review and admissions process. Most application fees fall into an average range of $50 to $60. However, top schools may charge $75 or more per application. According to the U.S. News & World Report, the 3 highest application fees among colleges they surveyed in 2021 were:

  1. Arkansas Baptist College, $100
  2. Stanford University, $90
  3. Columbia University, $85

Deciding Where to Apply

Students are typically advised to send applications to between 4 and 8 colleges. Although application fees make up a very small chunk of the overall cost of attending college, they can still start to add up to a reasonable sum when applying to numerous universities.

So, how do you decide where to apply? Are there methods you can use to save money during the application process?

Before you make your final decisions about where to send your applications, it’s important to first understand the total cost of applying to colleges. Alongside the application fee, students can also expect to pay a number of other fees, including SAT or ACT test fees, score report fees, high school transcript fees, and more. For example, a student who plans to take the SAT or ACT multiple times or who needs to send their scores out to more schools than are accommodated by the number of free score reports available may need to keep these extra costs in mind when considering where to apply.

However, there are ways to reduce the cost of application fees. Fee waivers are available for students who meet certain criteria such as being enrolled in a low-income family program or living in federally subsidized housing. If you think you may be eligible for a fee waiver, you can request a form here.

Lots of schools also offer a limited window in which students can submit a fee-free application. This window is usually earlier in the school year, falling somewhere around September or October. Keep an eye out for these options and take advantage of the opportunity to send out a few extra applications to schools on your radar without draining your funds.

Though you should take time to think about which colleges will be the best fit for you before making the decision to apply, you should not allow a higher application fee to deter you from applying to a school that meets your needs. Similarly, you should not limit your college search only to schools that have low or non-existent application fees. Weigh your options carefully and prioritize the qualities that are most important to you.

U.S. Colleges With No Application Fee

Below, you will find a complete list of U.S. colleges that do not ask students to submit an application fee. Keep in mind that some colleges may require prospective students to meet certain conditions in order to avoid paying the fee.

Are any of your top schools on the list? If so, consider beefing up your application by boosting your standardized test scores with help from Prep Expert! Our extensive online catalog of SAT and ACT prep courses are designed by expert instructors to guide students through their studies and teach essential test-taking strategies that you won’t learn anywhere else.