Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price
Colleges whose average price after grants is furthest below their published sticker price.
Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price690 schools
690 schools qualify, ranked by discount off the sticker price. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Academic Excellence grade B+ or better (the top 35% of rated colleges).
- Has a sticker price (cost of attendance) and a net price (average yearly cost after grants) from federal data (College Scorecard).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by the discount, sticker price minus net price, largest first.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in New Jersey
- $77,912 off the sticker price
- Net price $6,128 a year
- 2
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Illinois
- $75,500 off the sticker price
- Net price $14,860 a year
- 3
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $74,026 off the sticker price
- Net price $13,807 a year
- 4
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Tennessee
- $73,744 off the sticker price
- Net price $15,846 a year
- 5
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in California
- $70,811 off the sticker price
- Net price $16,075 a year
- 6
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Maine
- $70,702 off the sticker price
- Net price $14,398 a year
- 7
Colby College
Waterville, ME · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $68,240 off the sticker price
- Net price $17,180 a year
- 8
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollTop 2% for graduation
- $67,882 off the sticker price
- Net price $21,590 a year
- 9
Williams College
Williamstown, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $67,144 off the sticker price
- Net price $17,716 a year
- 10
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Maryland
- $67,138 off the sticker price
- Net price $18,809 a year
- 11
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Missouri
- $66,702 off the sticker price
- Net price $21,786 a year
- 12
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $66,474 off the sticker price
- Net price $19,066 a year
- 13
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Texas
- $66,418 off the sticker price
- Net price $13,370 a year
- 14
Pomona College
Claremont, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $66,015 off the sticker price
- Net price $19,285 a year
- 15
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Iowa
- $65,792 off the sticker price
- Net price $17,648 a year
- 16
Haverford College
Haverford, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $65,068 off the sticker price
- Net price $25,314 a year
- 17
Yale University
New Haven, CT · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in Connecticut
- $64,523 off the sticker price
- Net price $23,777 a year
- 18
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $64,273 off the sticker price
- Net price $23,367 a year
- 19
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Virginia
- $63,219 off the sticker price
- Net price $23,781 a year
- 20
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Massachusetts
- $62,619 off the sticker price
- Net price $20,111 a year
- 21
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor Roll#1 in Rhode Island
- $62,464 off the sticker price
- Net price $25,184 a year
- 22
Davidson College
Davidson, NC · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $62,096 off the sticker price
- Net price $17,379 a year
- 23
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- $62,083 off the sticker price
- Net price $29,167 a year
- 24
Boston University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- $61,883 off the sticker price
- Net price $24,402 a year
- 25
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Needham, MA · Private nonprofitTop 1% for earnings
- $61,303 off the sticker price
- Net price $25,171 a year
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | $6,128 | $10,320 | $110,066 | 98% |
| University of Chicago | $14,860 | $15,000 | $91,885 | 96% |
| Stanford University | $13,807 | $12,000 | $124,080 | 92% |
| Vanderbilt University | $15,846 | $14,000 | $91,565 | 94% |
| California Institute of Technology | $16,075 | — | $128,566 | 94% |
| Bowdoin College | $14,398 | $18,500 | $82,735 | 95% |
| Colby College | $17,180 | $19,157 | $80,490 | 89% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | $21,590 | $21,500 | $102,491 | 96% |
| Williams College | $17,716 | $12,761 | $88,665 | 94% |
| Johns Hopkins University | $18,809 | $10,250 | $87,555 | 94% |
| Washington University in St. Louis | $21,786 | $17,500 | $86,182 | 94% |
| Harvard University | $19,066 | $14,000 | $101,817 | 98% |
| Rice University | $13,370 | $11,000 | $89,718 | 95% |
| Pomona College | $19,285 | $11,782 | $77,779 | 93% |
| Grinnell College | $17,648 | $17,500 | $62,830 | 88% |
| Haverford College | $25,314 | $13,621 | $79,966 | 90% |
| Yale University | $23,777 | $12,975 | $100,533 | 96% |
| Amherst College | $23,367 | $13,740 | $77,644 | 94% |
| Washington and Lee University | $23,781 | $19,500 | $94,810 | 94% |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $20,111 | $14,768 | $143,372 | 96% |
| Brown University | $25,184 | $11,428 | $93,487 | 96% |
| Davidson College | $17,379 | $18,688 | $81,400 | 91% |
| Northwestern University | $29,167 | $15,000 | $89,363 | 95% |
| Boston University | $24,402 | $23,250 | $83,238 | 89% |
| Franklin W Olin College of Engineering | $25,171 | $19,500 | $129,455 | 96% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
By state
- Alabama 5
- Arizona 4
- Arkansas 5
- California 63
- Colorado 6
- Connecticut 13
- District of Columbia 5
- Florida 21
- Georgia 9
- Illinois 21
- Indiana 21
- Iowa 16
- Kansas 4
- Kentucky 7
- Louisiana 3
- Maine 9
- Maryland 15
- Massachusetts 47
- Michigan 20
- Minnesota 19
- Missouri 18
- Nebraska 8
- New Hampshire 5
- New Jersey 17
- New York 79
- North Carolina 17
- Ohio 33
- Oklahoma 4
- Oregon 11
- Pennsylvania 60
- Rhode Island 9
- South Carolina 10
- Tennessee 10
- Texas 20
- Utah 4
- Vermont 6
- Virginia 20
- Washington 13
- Wisconsin 15