20 of the Best Colleges Providing Free Tuition

Looking for a free college or at least free tuition?

A free college education isn’t the norm in the United States; however, many colleges, including some prestigious ones, provide free tuition and other financial assistance.
 
College Student Debt

In 2011, due to the high cost of attending college, the total amount of American student loan debt was more than $1 trillion.

About 25% of borrowers are behind on their loans. University of Wisconsin demographer Jason Houle finds students from middle-class families pile up more student loan debt on average than other students.

According to a Harvard University study, due to the high cost of a college education and other factors, American college students are leaving college without a degree at higher rates than in other developed countries.

In addition, the National Center for Education Statistics finds that the average total cost of attending college in 2010–11 for first-time, full-time students living on-campus and paying in-state tuition at public, four-year schools, was $20,100. The average cost at private, nonprofit, four-year schools was $39,800. The total cost includes tuition, required fees, books and supplies, and the average for room and board and other expenses. At the campus level, the average student debt numbers collected for the report vary widely, ranging from $3,000 to $55,250.

Moreover, according to the Project on Student Debt, provided by the Institute for College Access & Success, students who borrowed money to obtain a bachelor’s degree in 2011 graduated with an average student loan debt of $26,600. The report also shows that about two-thirds of students in the class of 2011 had loans. Approximately one-fifth of all student loans are private, with the rest supplied by the U.S. government, in one form or another.

Thus, many college students begin their careers with significant debt. Many of them can’t afford to take an unpaid internship, which could help put their career on an upward trajectory.

The College Board reports the following average 2012–13 tuition and fees:

• Public, four-year, in-state students: $8,654
• Public, four-year, out-of-state students: $21,706
• Private, nonprofit, four-year: $29,056
• For-profit schools: $15,172