Top 10+ Best Colleges For Poor Students In The US
Many students face significant financial challenges when selecting a college. The thought of paying for each semester or taking out student loans can be daunting—but, while college is expensive, there are numerous funding options available to low-income students.
In this post, KnowInsiders.com look at some excellent college options for low-income students, including programs that provide full scholarships!
Location: Cambridge, MA
Tuition: $51,832
Acceptance: 7%
SAT Score: 1500-1570
ACT Score: 34-36
QuestBridge Partner Schools include MIT. QuestBridge is a college scholarship program for academically gifted students from low-income families. These students will be able to “match” with one of 40 top universities. Matched students are provided with a full ride for all four years, which includes tuition, transportation, books, and other expenses.
According to the private research university, roughly 60% of all undergraduate students at MIT come from low-income families.
MIT ensures that students from families earning less than $140,000 per year and with typical assets receive scholarships that allow them to attend tuition-free.
READ MORE: Top 25+ Countries Where College Tuition is Free or Low-Cost
Location: Nashville, TN
Tuition: $49,816
Acceptance: 10%
SAT Score: 1450-1560
ACT Score: 33-35
Vanderbilt University is a private university in Nashville, Tennessee, with a beautiful campus. It is a highly regarded college, ranked 12th in the United States, with a 10% acceptance rate. It has a medium-sized student body of 7,145 undergraduate students enrolled full-time. Vanderbilt University offers 61 majors in four disciplines.
Applicants should be aware that a high school transcript is required for application and that the SAT or ACT is required for your application to be considered. It also receives approximately $14,355 in research funding per student.
Location: New Haven, CT
Tuition: $55,500
Acceptance: 6%
SAT Score: 1460-1570
ACT Score: 33-35
Yale University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, ranking third in the United States overall. According to the top-tier institution, its most generous financial aid package allows undergraduate students to attend for free if their family’s annual income is less than $75,000 and they have typical assets. The Ivy League provides need-based aid to some students from families earning more than $200,000 per year.
Location: Princeton, NJ
Tuition: $50,340
Acceptance: 5%
SAT Score: 1440-1570
ACT Score: 32-35
Princeton University is roughly midway between Philadelphia and New York City. This university provides educational opportunities in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. Princeton students live in one of six residential colleges, which serve as both housing and a social outlet. Tuition is free for students whose families earn less than $100,000 per year, as are many other college-related costs, including room and board.
Location: Cambridge, MA
Tuition: $50,420
Acceptance: 5%
SAT Score: 1460-1580
ACT Score: 33-35
Harvard is on the list of colleges that meet 100% of students’ needs. Colleges that meet 100% of demonstrated need will pay the difference between the cost of attendance and your family’s EFC. You will receive grants (which do not have to be repaid) and loans as part of your financial aid package. You may be expected to contribute to meeting this need through a work-study program in some cases.
Location: Stanford, CA
Acceptance rate: 4%
Tuition: $51,354
Student population: 17,680
Stanford University, often mistaken for an Ivy League institution, reports that nearly half of its undergraduates receive financial aid.
It goes on to say that students from families earning less than $150,000 per year and with assets typical of that income level can attend tuition-free. Tuition and room and board are also free for families earning less than $100,000 per year.
Location: Durham, NC
Tuition: $55,695
Acceptance: 9%
SAT Score: 1450-1570
ACT Score: 33-35
Duke University offers the best financial aid to low-income families. It is a prestigious private Christian university in Durham, North Carolina, near Raleigh. It is a medium-sized university with a total enrollment of 6,669 undergraduate students. Duke’s acceptance rate is only 9%, making admissions extremely competitive. Computer Science, Economics, and Public Policy Analysis are popular majors. Duke graduates 96% of their students and their starting salary is $76,300.
Location: Houston, TX
Tuition: $47,350
Acceptance: 11%
SAT Score: 1450-1560
ACT Score: 33-35
Rice University, which is ranked #15 in the nation by US News, announced in 2018 that undergraduate students from families earning less than $130,000 per year would pay no tuition. This is part of the Rice Investment financial aid program, which is also intended to help reduce the burden of student debt.
Location: Claremont, CA
Tuition: $52,780
Acceptance: 8%
SAT Score: 1400-1540
ACT Score: 31-34
Pomona College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California, with a beautiful campus. It is a highly regarded college, ranked 13th in the United States, with extremely competitive admissions (8% acceptance rate). It is a small college with 1,499 undergraduate students enrolled full-time. Its most popular major is a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, which is pursued by 13% of the student body. Mathematics (12% of students) and computer science ( 10% of students) are two other popular majors. It has a top-tier art program that is ranked fourth in the country.
Location: Pasadena, CA
Tuition: $52,362
Acceptance: 7%
SAT Score: 1530-1580
ACT Score: 35-36
Caltech is a prestigious private university in Pasadena, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is a small university with 961 undergraduate students enrolled.
California Institute of Technology is one of the universities where low-income students earn the most. After graduation, low-income students earn less money than their wealthier peers. In fact, students from low-income households earn $47,400 per year on average 10 years after enrolling in college, compared to $61,968 for students from the highest-income bracket.
Top 10 colleges with the cheapest in-state tuition
Yearly tuition (in state)
1. US Merchant Marine Academy
$1,095
2. Elizabeth City State University
$3,260
3. University of North Carolina at Pembroke
$3,456
4. Dalton State College
$3,683
5. College of Coastal Georgia
$3,933
6. Middle Georgia State University
$4,060
7. University of Arkansas System eVersity
$4,200
8. Western Carolina University
$4,285
9. Brigham Young University – Idaho
$4,300
10. The University of Texas Permian Basin
$4,837
Colleges with the cheapest out-of-state tuition
Yearly tuition (out-of-state)
1. United States Merchant Marine Academy
$1,095
2. University of Arkansas System eVersity
$4,200
3. Brigham Young University-Idaho
$4,300
4. Urshan College
$5,556
5. Columbia Southern University
$5,775
6. Brigham Young University-Hawaii
$5,890
7. Brigham Young University
$5,970
8. City Vision University
$6,000
9. Pacific Islands University
$6,110
10. Manna University
$6,200
School
Location
Type of School
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
Liberal arts college
Barnard College
New York, NY
Liberal arts college
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Research university
Boston University | BU
Boston, MA
Research university
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
Liberal arts college
Brown University
Providence, RI
Research university
California Institute of Technology | Caltech
Pasadena, CA
Research university
Carleton College
Northfield, MI
Liberal arts college
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
Research university
Claremont McKenna College | CMC
Claremont, CA
Liberal arts college
Colby College
Waterville, ME
Liberal arts college
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Research university
College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross
Worcester, MA
Liberal arts college
Colorado College
Colorado, CO
Liberal arts college
Columbia University
New York, NY
Research university
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Research university
Davidson College
Davidson, NC
Liberal arts college
Denison University
Granville, OH
Liberal arts college
Duke University
Durham, NC
Research university
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Research university
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Liberal arts college
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
Liberal arts college
Haverford College
Haverford, PA
Liberal arts college
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Research university
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
Liberal arts college
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT
Cambridge, MA
Research University
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
Liberal arts college
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
Research university
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH
Liberal arts college
Pomona College
Claremont, CA
Liberal arts college
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Research university
Rice University
Houston, TX
Research university
Scripps College
Claremont, CA
Liberal arts college
Smith College
North Hampton, MA
Liberal arts college
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Research university
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
Liberal arts college
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Research university
The University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Research university
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IL
Research university
University of Pennsylvania | UPenn
Philadelphia, PA
Research university
University of Southern California | USC
Los Angeles, CA
Research university
University of Virginia | UVA
Charlottesville, VA
Research university
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Research university
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Liberal arts college
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA
Liberal arts college
Washington University in St. Louis | WashU
Saint Louis, MO
Research university
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
Liberal arts college
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
Liberal arts college
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
Liberal arts college
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Research university
It’s a good thing that many colleges and universities offer tuition-free programs to students from low-income families. Despite rising tuitions, many of the most prestigious private schools remain affordable to even the poorest Americans.
Contrary to popular belief, research suggests that because of need-blind admissions and generous financial aid programs, the most selective colleges and universities are often the most affordable options for low-income families. However, many low-income families are intimidated by high published tuition rates and choose only schools that appear to be less expensive and less competitive.
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