Slide Show | November 2010
10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
By Jane Bennett Clark
November 2010
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
1. Princeton University
Overall Rank: (among private universities): 1
Total Annual Cost: $49,780
Average Graduating Debt: $4,957
Princeton’s ground-breaking financial aid policy, which replaced loans with grants, contributes to its number-one ranking for overall value and puts it at the top of the list for average debt on graduation. Students at this Ivy League institution walk away with about one-fifth the average debt of students who borrow at all private schools. 1. Princeton University
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
2. Williams College
Overall Rank: (among liberal-arts colleges): 3
Total Annual Cost: $53,140
Average Graduating Debt: $7,960
This elite liberal arts college meets 100% of its students’ financial need and admits students regardless of their ability to pay. The school offers no-loan financial aid to families who qualify. 2. Williams College
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
3. Berea College
Parkerdr
Overall Rank: (liberal-arts colleges): 82
Total Annual Cost: $31,494
Average Graduating Debt: $8,133
You can’t beat scholarships that cover tuition for keeping student debt down. This Kentucky college covers tuition to all accepted students and extends additional grants to students who qualify for need-based aid. Some students borrow to meet other educational costs. 3. Berea College
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
4. California Institute of Technology
Overall Rank: (private universities): 3
Total Annual Cost: $49,002
Average Graduating Debt: $8,218
A longtime leader in limiting student debt, Caltech attracts top students from around the country -- almost 100% of its incoming class scored over 700 on the math SAT, and over 71% scored over 700 on the verbal -- and puts them in close contact with faculty, including five Nobel prize winners. 4. California Institute of Technology
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
5. Claremont McKenna College
Overall Rank: (liberal-arts colleges): 7
Total Annual Cost: $53,625
Average Graduating Debt: $9,259
One of just five institutions in our top 200 to keep average debt on graduation below $10,000, Claremont McKenna is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Of the seven colleges in the consortium, all five of those that offer an undergraduate degree appear in Kiplinger’s top 50 best values. 5. Claremont McKenna College
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
6. Yale University
Michael Marsland/Yale University
Overall Rank: (private universities): 2
Total Annual Cost: $50,080
Average Graduating Debt: $10,717
With one of the most lavish financial aid packages on both our lists and a stellar graduation rate (97% of students graduate on time), Yale delivers its world-class education affordably and efficiently. 6. Yale University
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
7. Harvard University
Harvard University
Overall Rank: (private universities): 6
Total Annual Cost: $53,227
Average Graduating Debt: $10,871
The most competitive school in the country extends need-based financial aid to families with incomes approaching $200,000. Its average aid package is among the highest on our rankings. A Harvard degree? Priceless. 7. Harvard University
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
8. Scripps College
Overall Rank: (liberal-arts colleges): 25
Total Annual Cost: $53,227
Average Graduating Debt: $11,270
This tiny, all-woman’s school has boosted its grant aid by 10% over the 2009-10 year and offers both need-based and merit-based financial aid. It shares its scenic setting at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains with the other Claremont colleges, including Pomona and Claremont McKenna. 8. Scripps College
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
9. Amherst College
Overall Rank: (liberal-arts colleges): 8
Total Annual Cost: $52,522
Average Graduating Debt: $11,347
The average financial aid at this top-notch New England school -- $39,451 -- is the highest in our rankings. That generosity, combined with a no-loan financial aid policy, helps keep debt manageable for students who graduate. 9. Amherst College
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10 Private Colleges With the Lowest Graduating Debt
10. Columbia University
Columbia University/Eileen Barroso
Overall Rank: (private universities): 8
Total Annual Cost: $57,192
Average Graduating Debt: $11,564
Set in one of the world’s most expensive cities, Columbia still delivers its Ivy League education while keeping the average student debt at less than half the national average for graduating seniors. 10. Columbia University
