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.

• Adrian College (MI)
• Agnes Scott College (GA)
• Alaska Pacific University
• Albion College (MI)
• Albright College (PA)
• Alcorn State University (MS)
• Alderson Broaddus University (WV)
• Alice Lloyd College (KY)
• Allegheny College (PA)
• Allen University (SC)
• Alma College (MI)
• Alverno College (WI)
• Anderson University (IN)
• Aquinas College (MI)
• Arcadia University (PA)
• Arkansas Tech University
• Asbury University (KY)
• Ashland University (OH)
• Auburn University at Montgomery (AL)
• Augsburg College (MN)
• Augustana College (IL)
• Augustana College (SD)
• Aurora University (IL)
• Austin College (TX)
• Ave Maria University (FL)
• Averett University (VA)
• Avila University (MO)
• Baker University (KS)
• Baldwin Wallace University (OH)
• Barclay College (KS)
• Barton College (NC)
• Bay Path College (MA)
• Baylor University (TX)
• Belmont Abbey College (NC)
• Beloit College (WI)
• Berea College (KY)
• Berry College (GA)
• Bethany College (KS)
• Bethany College (WV)
• Bethany Lutheran College (MN)
• Bethel University (MN)
• Bluefield State College (WV)
• Bradley University (IL)
• Brenau University (GA)
• Bridgewater College (VA)
• Bryn Mawr College (PA)
• Buena Vista University (IA)
• Butler University (IN)
• California College San Diego
• Calumet College of St. Joseph (IN)
• Calvin College (MI)
• Canisius College (NY)
• Capitol Technology University (MD)
• Cardinal Stritch University (WI)
• Carleton College (MN)
• Carlow University (PA)
• Carroll College (MT)
• Carroll University (WI)
• Catawba College (NC)
• Cazenovia College (NY)
• Cedar Crest College (PA)
• Centenary College (LA)
• Central College (IA)
• Central Pennsylvania College (PA)
• Centre College (KY)
• Chadron State College (NE)
• Champlain College (VT)
• Chatfield College (OH)
• Chatham University (PA)
• Christendom College (VA)
• Clarkson University  (NY)
• Coe College (IA)
• Coker College (SC)
• Colby College (ME)
• Colby-Sawyer College (NH)
• Colgate University (NY)
• College of Idaho
• College of Mount Saint Vincent (NY)
• College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University (MN)
• College of Southern Idaho 
• College of St. Rose (NY)
• College of St. Scholastica (MN)
• College of the Atlantic (ME)
• College of the Ozarks (MO)
• College of Wooster (OH)
• Colorado College
• Colorado Mountain College
• Columbia College (SC)
• Concord University (WV)
• Concordia College (MN)
• Concordia University (MI)
• Concordia University (NE)
• Converse College (SC)
• Cornell College (IA)
• Creighton University (NE)
• Culver-Stockton College (MO)
• D’Youville College (NY)
• Daemen College (NY)
• Davis & Elkins College (WV)
• Davis College (NY)
• Deep Springs College (CA)
• Defiance College (OH)
• Delaware Valley College (PA)
• Denison University (OH)
• DePauw University (IN)
• Doane University (NE)
• Dominican University of California
• Drake University (IA)
• Drury University (MO)
• Duquesne University (PA)
• Earlham College (IN)
• Eastern Nazarene College (MA)
• Eastern New Mexico University
• Elizabethtown College (PA)
• Elmhurst College (IL)
• Emmanuel College (MA)
• Emory & Henry College (VA)
• Eureka College (IL)
• Ferris State University (MI)
• Finlandia University (MI)
• Fisher College (MA)
• Florida Gateway College
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Fontbonne University (MO)
• Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH)
• Franklin College (IN)
• Franklin University (OH)
• Freed-Hardeman University (TN)
• Gannon University (PA)
• Grace College (IN)
• Graceland University (IA)
• Grand Canyon University (AZ)
• Grand View University (IA)
• Granite State College (NH)
• Greenville College (IL)
• Grinnell College (IA)
• Guilford College (NC)
• Gustavus Adolphus College (MN)
• Gwynedd Mercy University (PA)
• Hamline University (MN)
• Hampden-Sydney College (VA)
• Hampshire College (MA)
• Hanover College (IN)
• Hardin-Simmons University (TX)
• Hartwick College (NY)
• Hastings College (NE)
• Henderson State University (AR)
• Hendrix College (AR)
• Hilbert College (NY)
• Hillsdale College (MI)
• Hiram College (OH)
• Hobart & William Smith Colleges (NY)
• Hollins University (VA)
• Holy Cross College (IN)
• Holy Names University (CA)
• Hood College (MD)
• Houston Baptist University (TX)
• Howard Payne University (TX)
• Huntingdon College (AL)
• Illinois College
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Immaculata University (PA)
• Indian River State College (FL)
• Indiana Wesleyan University
• Iowa Wesleyan College
• Jackson State University (MS)
• John Carroll University (OH)
• Johnson & Wales University – Charlotte (NC)
• Johnson & Wales University – Providence (RI)
• Johnson & Wales University (CO)
• Johnson & Wales University (FL)
• Juniata College (PA)
• Kalamazoo College (MI)
• Kenyon College (OH)
• Kettering University (MI)
• Keuka College (NY)
• King’s College (PA)
• La Roche College (PA)
• La Salle University (PA)
• La Sierra University (CA)
• Laguna College of the Arts (CA)
• Lake Erie College (OH)
• Lake Forest College (IL)
• Lakeland College (WI)
• Lane College (TN)
• Lasell College (MA)
• Le Moyne College (NY)
• Lebanon Valley College (PA)
• Lesley University (MA)
• LeTourneau University (TX)
• Lewis & Clark College (OR)
• Liberty University (VA)
• Limestone College (SC)
• Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
• Lindsey Wilson College (KY)
• Linfield University – McMinnville (OR)
• Loras College (IA)
• Loyola University Chicago (IL)
• Loyola University New Orleans (LA)
• Luther College (IA)
• Lycoming College (PA)
• Lynchburg College (VA)
• Madonna University (MI)
• Manchester University  (IN)
• Marquette University (WI)
• Maryville College (TN)
• Maryville University of St. Louis (MO)
• Marywood University (PA)
• McKendree University (IL)
• MCPHS University (MA)
• Medaille College (NY)
• Mercy University (NY)
• Mercyhurst University (PA)
• Merrimack College (MA)
• Metropolitan State University (MN)
• Michigan Technological University
• MidAmerica Nazarene University (KS)
• Midland University (NE)
• Miles College (AL)
• Millikin University (IL)
• Millsaps College (MS)
• Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (WI)
• Milwaukee School of Engineering (WI)
• Mississippi University for Women
• Mississippi Valley State University
• Mitchell College (CT)
• Monmouth College (IL)
• Moravian College (PA)
• Morningside College (IA)
• Mount Holyoke College (MA)
• Mount Mary University (WI)
• Mount Mercy University (IA)
• Mount Saint Mary College (NY)
• Navajo Technical University (NM)
• Nazareth College (NY)
• Nebraska Wesleyan University
• Neumann University (PA)
• New England College (NH)
• Niagara University (NY)
• Nichols College (MA)
• Northern New Mexico College
• Northland College (WI)
• Northwest College (CA)
• Northwest Missouri State University
• Northwestern College (IA)
• Northwood University (MI)
• Notre Dame College (OH)
• Notre Dame de Namur University (CA)
• Oakland University (MI)
• Oberlin College (OH)
• Oglethorpe University (GA)
• Ohio Northern University
• Ohio Wesleyan University
• Oklahoma Baptist University
• Oklahoma Wesleyan University
• Olivet College (MI)
• Olympic College (WA)
• Pacific Lutheran University (WA)
• Pacific Union College (CA)
• Peru State College (NE)
• Piedmont College (GA)
• Point Park University (PA)
• Polk State College (FL)
• Presbyterian College (SC)
• Purdue University (IN)
• Queens University of Charlotte (NC)
• Randolph College (VA)
• Randolph-Macon College (VA)
• Ranken Technical College (MO)
• Reed College (OR)
• Regis University (CO)
• Rhodes College (TN)
• Roanoke College (VA)
• Robert Morris University (PA)
• Roberts Wesleyan College (NY)
• Rockford University (IL)
• Rockhurst University (MO)
• Rosemont College (PA)
• Rust College (MS)
• Sage College of Albany (NY)
• Saint Augustine College (IL)
• Saint Edward’s University (TX)
• Saint Francis University (PA)
• Saint Leo University (FL)
• Saint Louis University (MO)
• Saint Martin’s University (WA)
• Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
• Saint Peter’s University (NJ)
• Salish Kootenai College (MT)
• Santa Fe College (FL)
• Savannah State University (GA)
• Sewanee: The University of the South (TN)
• Shawnee State University (OH)
• Siena Heights University (MI)
• Sierra Nevada College
• Simmons College (MA)
• Simpson College (IA)
• Smith College (MA)
• Southern Arkansas University
• Southwestern Adventist University (TX)
• Southwestern University (TX)
• Spring Hill College (AL)
• St. Ambrose University (IA)
• St. Bonaventure University (NY)
• St. Catherine University (MN)
• St. John’s College (MD)
• St. John’s College (NM)
• St. John’s University (NY)
• St. Joseph’s College (ME)
• St. Mary’s College (IN)
• St. Mary’s University (TX)
• St. Norbert College (WI)
• St. Olaf College (MN)
• Stephens College (MO)
• Sterling College (KS)
• Stevenson University (MD)
• Susquehanna University (PA)
• Sweet Briar College (VA)
• Texas A&M International University
• Texas Wesleyan University
• Thomas Aquinas College (CA)
• Thomas More College (KY)
• Touro College (NY)
• Transylvania University (KY)
• Trine University (IN)
• Trinity University (TX)
• Truman State University (MO)
• Tulane University (LA)
• Tusculum College (TN)
• Union College (NE)
• Unity College (ME)
• University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
• University of Dayton (OH)
• University of Detroit Mercy (MI)
• University of Evansville (IN)
• University of Findlay (OH)
• University of Great Falls (MT)
• University of Hartford (CT)
• University of Houston-Victoria (TX)
• University of Indianapolis (IN)
• University of Jamestown (ND)
• University of Mount Olive (NC)
• University of Mount Union (OH)
• University of Pikeville (KY)
• University of Rio Grande (OH)
• University of Saint Joseph (CT)
• University of Scranton (PA)
• University of Sioux Falls (SD)
• University of St. Francis (IL)
• University of St. Thomas (MN)
• University of St. Thomas (TX)
• University of Texas – El Paso, Rio Grande Valley
• University of the Pacific (CA)
• Upper Iowa University
• Ursinus College (PA)
• Ursuline College (OH)
• US Air Force Academy (CO)
• US Coast Guard Academy (CT)
• US Merchant Marine Academy (NY)
• US Military Academy – West Point (NY)
• US Naval Academy (MD)
• Valparaiso University (IN)
• Warren Wilson College (NC)
• Wartburg College (IA)
• Washington & Jefferson College (PA)
• Washington Adventist University (MD)
• Wayne State College (NE)
• Wellesley College (MA)
• Wesleyan College (GA)
• West Liberty University (WV)
• West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WV)
• West Virginia Wesleyan College
• Westminster College (MO)
• Westminster College (PA)
• Wheeling Jesuit University (WV)
• Whitworth University (WA)
• William Jewell College (MO)
• William Woods University (MO)
• Williams Baptist College (AZ)
• Wilmington College (OH)
• Wilson College (PA)
• Wisconsin Lutheran College
• Wittenberg University (OH)
• Xavier University (OH)

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