33 Top Colleges Without Application Fees

Nowadays, it’s not only expensive to go to college; it’s also expensive to apply. College applications have increased in cost – some of them are upwards of $70! And, for students with limited funds, it can be financially cumbersome to apply to several colleges. While you are able to get around fees with financial need, there may be an easier way. Consider applying to colleges without application fees. The good news is that there are plenty of colleges that recognize that the application fee costs are expensive and no longer charge fees for their applications. Many colleges may even have a declared application fee, but will waive the charge for students who apply online, usually utilizing the Common Application. Students can even apply for a Common Application fee waiver. According to the Common Application website, "If you feel that your financial circumstances might qualify you for an application fee waiver, you can request a fee waiver in the Common Application Fee Waiver section in the Profile section." Niche publishes a best colleges list, which includes the top colleges without application fees. According to Niche, “The 2019 Best Colleges with No Application Fee ranking filters the 2019 Best Colleges ranking to only include colleges with free applications. Note that additional colleges waive application fees for low-income, minority, veteran, and other student types so be sure to check each school's website.” You can learn more about the methodology of Niche’s best colleges lists here. Here are 33 of Niche’s top colleges with no application fees: 1. United States Military Academy – West Point, New York
2. Carleton College – Northfield, Minnesota
3. Wellesley College – Wellesley, Massachusetts
4. Colby College – Waterville, Maine
5. Smith College – Northampton, Massachusetts
6. Grinnell College – Grinnell, Iowa
7. Tulane University – New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Kenyon College – Gambier, Ohio
9. Reed College – Portland, Oregon
10. Trinity University, Texas – San Antonio, Texas
11. St. Olaf College – Northfield, Minnesota
12. Michigan Technological University – Houghton, Michigan
13. Union College, New York – Schenectady, New York
14. Lawrence University – Appleton, Wisconsin
15. Denison University – Granville, Ohio
16. Gustavus Adolphus College – Saint Peter, Minnesota
17. Oberlin College – Oberlin, Ohio
18. Sewanee, The University of the South – Sewanee, Tennessee
19. St. Louis University – St. Louis, Missouri
20. New Mexico Military Institute – Roswell, New Mexico
21. University of Dayton – Dayton, Ohio
22. Luther College – Decorah, Iowa
23. United States Merchant Marine Academy – Kings Point, New York
24. University of St. Thomas, Minnesota – Saint Paul, Minnesota
25. Illinois Wesleyan University – Bloomington, Illinois
26. Ohio Northern University – Ada, Ohio
26. Lewis & Clark College – Portland, Oregon
27. Florida Institute of Technology – Melbourne, Florida
28. Illinois Institute of Technology – Chicago, Illinois
29. Milwaukee School of Engineering – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
30. College of Wooster – Wooster, Ohio
31. Augusta University – Sioux Falls, South Dakota
32. DePauw University – Greencastle, Indiana
33. University of Scranton – Scranton, Pennsylvania
That's not all! There are plenty of colleges without application fees. Check out Niche's full list here.