Stanford University ranked first in the Top Private Colleges rankings, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
The average tuition & fees of Top Private Colleges is $65,707 for the academic year 2024-2025.
Columbia University in the City of New York has the highest tuition & fees of $70,517 and Harvard University has the lowest tuition & fees of $61,676 among Top Private Colleges. For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees of the schools is $61,161.
The average acceptance rate is 3.92% and the SAT score is 1550 for the Top Private Colleges. Their acceptance rate is very low, which means it is very hard to get into the schools, and the SAT score is very high.
| Rank | School Name | Undergraduate Tuition | Graduate Tuition | Acceptance Rate | SAT/ACT Scores | Student Population | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford UniversityStanford, CA | $65,910 $3,426 | $61,878 $2,379 | 3.61% -0.30% | 1,550 SAT 35 ACT0 /0 | 18,625 179 | 92% |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA | $62,396 $2,240 | $62,396 $997 | 4.55% -0.19% | 1,560 SAT 35 ACT 10 /0 | 11,886 -34 | 96% |
| 3 | Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA | $61,676 $2,600 | $57,248 $1,808 | 3.65% 0.20% | 1,550 SAT 35 ACT0 /0 | 30,259 -127 | 98% 1% |
| 4 | Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT | $67,250 $2,550 | $49,500 $1,200 | 3.87% -0.63% | 1,540 SAT 34 ACT0 /0 | 15,564 483 | 96% |
| 5 | Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ | $62,688 $2,978 | $65,936 $3,076 | 4.62% 0.12% | 1,550 SAT 35 ACT 10 /1 | 9,137 215 | 98% 1% |
| 6 | California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA | $65,898 $2,643 | $65,706 $2,643 | 2.57% -0.57% | - | 2,430 -33 | 94% 1% |
| 7 | Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY | $70,517 $2,346 | $57,973 $1,694 | 3.99% -0.24% | 1,550 SAT 35 ACT 10 /0 | 35,173 -106 | 96% 2% |
| 8 | University of ChicagoChicago, IL | $69,324 $3,705 | $68,652 $2,109 | 4.48% -0.31% | 1,550 SAT 35 ACT0 /0 | 18,566 227 | 96% 2% |
| Average | $65,707 (-) | $61,161 (-) | 4% | 1,550 | 17,705 | 96% |