The Best Need-Blind Colleges

Need-blind schools do not take into consideration the financial circumstances of applicants. This means that lower-income students are not penalized during the application process, as is the case with need-aware schools. There are some schools – particularly Ivy League like Harvard and MIT,  and very prestigious universities with large endowments like Duke, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern – that do pledge to meet the demonstrated financial need of students. 

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#1 in Need Blind | #1 in National Universities

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Economic score 0.39

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $10,851

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $124,080

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 97%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#2 in Need Blind | #2 in National Universities

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

Economic score 0.41

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $8,143

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $110,066

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 98%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#3 in Need Blind | #3 in National Universities
Economic score 0.43

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $16,550

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $128,566

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 92%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#4 in Need Blind | #4 in National Universities
Economic score 0.47

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $20,338

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $143,372

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#5 in Need Blind | #7 in National Universities

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Economic score 0.74

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $18,535

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $100,533

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 97%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#6 in Need Blind | #8 in National Universities

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Economic score 0.82

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $19,500

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $101,817

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 98%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#7 in Need Blind | #9 in National Universities

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Economic score 0.87

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $26,138

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $111,371

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#8 in Need Blind | #11 in National Universities

Rice University

Houston, Texas

Economic score 0.95

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $15,091

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $89,718

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 94%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#9 in Need Blind | #12 in National Universities

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Economic score 0.98

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $6,450

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $61,675

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 84%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#10 in Need Blind | #14 in National Universities

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Economic score 1.09

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $20,531

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $91,885

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#11 in Need Blind | #15 in National Universities

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Economic score 1.13

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $20,917

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $91,565

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 93%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#12 in Need Blind | #16 in National Universities

Columbia University

New York, New York

Economic score 1.14

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $23,497

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $102,491

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 94%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#13 in Need Blind | #19 in National Universities
Economic score 1.23

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $12,414

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $72,200

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 90%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#14 in Need Blind | #20 in National Universities

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Economic score 1.24

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $34,550

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $114,862

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 91%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#15 in Need Blind | #23 in National Universities

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Economic score 1.34

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $29,651

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $104,043

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#16 in Need Blind | #25 in National Universities

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Economic score 1.38

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $20,820

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $87,555

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 94%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#17 in Need Blind | #26 in National Universities

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington

Economic score 1.38

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $13,404

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $78,466

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 83%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#18 in Need Blind | #29 in National Universities

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Economic score 1.45

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $29,974

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $99,980

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#19 in Need Blind | #30 in National Universities

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

Economic score 1.45

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $30,785

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $97,800

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 96%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#20 in Need Blind | #32 in National Universities

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

Economic score 1.48

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $31,120

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $97,434

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 95%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

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