Timothy Peck February 10, 2023 9 12th Grade,College Lists

Complete List of Colleges With No Application Fee in 2023

What’s Covered:

• Overview of College Application Fees
• College Application Fee Waivers
• How to Determine If a College is a Good Fit
• Colleges With No Application Fees
• Liberal Arts Colleges With No Application Fees
• Regional Universities With No Application Fees
• What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at These Colleges?

The cost of college often looms in the minds of many students preparing to pursue higher education. However, the expense of school doesn’t start with tuition—even the costs of applying to colleges can add up fast. For example, the strategy of applying to 2-3 safety schools, 3-4 target schools, and 2-3 reach schools can cost hundreds of dollars!

If you’re trying to control costs through the college application process, keep reading to learn more about application fees and discover colleges with no application fees.

Overview of College Application Fees

According to U.S. News, the average college application fee is approximately $45. 64 schools have application fees exceeding $75, including many top schools such as Stanford ($90), Columbia University ($85), Harvard University ($85), Cornell University ($80), and Dartmouth College ($80).

A 2015 report from the Higher Education Research Institute found that 80% of students had applied to at least three colleges, and that 35% of high school seniors applied to seven schools or more—using the average application cost, that adds up to $132-$308 in just application fees.

Furthermore, the report shows that, in that year, the number of colleges students applied to had doubled over the previous decade, and had nearly tripled over the course of the previous 15 years. If this trend continues, students can plan on spending even more on college applications in the future.

The expense of applying to college isn’t solely in application fees; there’s also the cost of sending test scores to schools. Included in the price of the SAT are four free score reports—however, whether or not you should take advantage of this merits some thought (check out our article Should You Send SAT Scores Straight to Colleges on Test Day? to learn more).

Even if you take advantage of the four free reports, with 35% of students applying to more than seven schools, they’ll still end up paying $12 for each additional score report they need. Similarly, the ACT includes four free score reports as well, but they charge $13 for each additional report requested.

College Application Fee Waivers

Colleges are aware of the financial hardships some students face, so they offer fee waivers to students with financial need. College application fee waivers, in general, follow the same requirements needed to qualify for a fee waiver from the SAT or ACT:

• You’re enrolled in or eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program 
• Your annual family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service
• You’re enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families
• Your family receives public assistance
• You live in federally subsidized public housing, live in a foster home, or are homeless
• You are a ward of the state or an orphan

If you don’t qualify for a fee waiver but face financial hardships, ask the admissions office for one—the worst they can say is no. Some colleges also offer fee waivers through their email lists, which makes signing up for emails from the colleges you’re interested in a smart strategy.

If your dream school has an application fee, even an expensive one such as Stanford’s, don’t be discouraged from applying if you can afford to. If you don’t apply, you’ll very likely regret it down the road. Also, looking at the big picture, the cost of applying to college is a very small fraction of overall college expenses.

However, if your plan is to apply to a bunch of schools, one way to cut down on the cost is to consider some schools that don’t charge an application fee. Remember though, don’t just apply to these schools because it’s free. Make sure that they offer classes and extracurriculars you’re interested in, that you like their community, and that they’ll help prepare you for the future you’re dreaming of.

How to Determine If a College is a Good Fit

You might be wondering how to determine if a college is a good fit, and how to use our list of colleges with no application fees to find the best-fit colleges for you. Here are some important considerations:

Size: Do you want to go to a small school with intimate class sizes, or a large university with large lecture halls? Or maybe something in-between?

Type: Research university or liberal arts college? If you’re not sure what a liberal arts college is, see our article What Is a Liberal Arts College, and How Are They Different? Basically, LACs are smaller colleges (<3,000 students) that don’t offer graduate degrees. The professors generally focus on teaching rather than research, and students are taught a broad range of disciplines beyond their major. Keep in mind that there are exceptions to this, though.

Location: Which region of the country (or world) do you want to be in? Is the school close or far from home? Do you want to be in a large city, the suburbs, or a more remote location?

Weather: Are cold weather and snow your thing, or do you prefer sunshine and warmth? Do you want to experience the four seasons?

Difficulty: Is the school a target, reach, or safety for you? Look primarily at the middle 50% range of SAT/ACT scores, average GPA, and acceptance rate to determine this. You can also use our free chancing engine.

Cost: Can you and your family afford the school? Are there generous financial aid packages or merit-based scholarships? Does the school meet 100% of demonstrated financial need, and is it a need-blind or a no-loan school?

Academics: Does the school offer the majors you’re interested in? Is there pre-professional advising? Are there specific programs you’re looking for? Can you easily study abroad? Is it hard to change majors? Can you go in undecided and declare a major later?

Extracurriculars: Are there activities that you want to join? If not, can you easily begin your own club? Are there communities on campus you could see yourself being part of?

Colleges With No Application Fees

Liberal Arts Colleges With No Application Fees

Regional Universities With No Application Fees

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at These Colleges?

Your chances at a college may be higher or lower than the acceptance rate depending on the strength of your profile. CollegeVine can help add clarity to your own unique odds of college admission. Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of metrics—like GPA, standardized test scores, and extracurricular activities—to estimate your chances of getting into hundreds of colleges across the country. It also sheds light on the strengths and weaknesses of your profile, providing valuable insight on areas where you can improve.