10 Colleges Where Tuition Is Free

You might think there's no escaping the high—and still rising—cost of college.

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You might think there's no escaping the high—and still rising—cost of college. But at some schools, the cost of tuition rings up as zilch, zero, nada.

These ten colleges across the country offer free tuition. At many of the schools, students work a set number of hours in a student work program or, in the case of the military academies, commit to a period of service after graduating.

Not surprisingly, the savings for families is significant. During the 2015–16 academic year, the average annual sticker price for tuition and fees for in-state students attending a four-year public college was $9,410, according to the College Board. Meanwhile, the average annual cost of tuition and fees for out-of-state students at a four-year public college was $23,893. Private colleges were even pricier, at an average total cost of $32,405.

Although the schools listed here are tuition-free in most cases, students and their families are expected to pay for required fees, room and board, and books. Financial aid is often available to help defray those costs.

Kaitlin Pitsker
Associate Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Pitsker joined Kiplinger in the summer of 2012. Previously, she interned at the Post-Standard newspaper in Syracuse, N.Y., and with Chronogram magazine in Kingston, N.Y. She holds a BS in magazine journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.