The Ivy League college ranked among the top 10 for financial aid, according to The Princeton Review.

• With the ongoing issues with the new FAFSA form, families are becoming increasingly concerned about covering the high costs of college.
• The Princeton Review ranked schools based on the amount of financial aid they provide.
• In 2023-24, some institutions provided an average scholarship of more than $70,000 to students with financial need.

The cost of attending a four-year college or university, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation, and other expenses, is rapidly approaching $100,000 per year without financial aid.

Despite the increasing cost of college, students and their parents seldom cover the full amount.

Federal aid, such as loans, work-study, and grants, is crucial for most families to overcome the "affordability gap," as stated by Sameer Gadkaree, president of The Institute for College Access and Success.

"The math doesn't work, as we have created a situation where students can't work their way through college without taking on debt," he said.

Over 50% of student loan borrowers anticipate debt cancellation. The cost of attendance at some universities has increased to almost $100,000 per year. An increasing number of top colleges in the country are introducing no-loan policies.

The delayed start of the U.S. Department of Education's announcement in December has heightened families' concerns about problems with the new federal student aid application form, indicating that FAFSA issues could continue into the upcoming application season.

Robert Franek, editor in chief of The Princeton Review, stated that with cost being the top college concern among families, problems with the FAFSA will persist and impact students and their parents.

That's where financial assistance from a college can be key.

The Princeton Review ranked colleges based on financial aid and student satisfaction in the 2025 edition of its college guide, which was based on data from surveys of 168,000 students in the 2023-24 school year.

These schools not only provide assistance but also alleviate concerns about college affordability, Franek stated: "These colleges are saying, 'You do not have to mortgage your future to pay for school — we are meeting you where you are.'"

The average scholarship grant awarded in 2023-24 to students with need at some of the top schools on The Princeton Review's list was over $70,000. Grants are the most preferred form of financial aid because they do not require repayment.

Franek stated that the takeaway is that students are facing challenges with financial aid and experiencing anxiety about scholarship dollars. To alleviate this stress, financial aid is being directed directly to students.

Top 10 colleges for financial aid

1. Saratoga Springs, New York is the location of Skidmore College. The sticker price for this college is $85,230. The average need-based scholarship for first-year students is $53,700, which means the total out-of-pocket cost for these students is $31,530. On average, first-year students with need-based aid have their entire financial need met.

Gettysburg College is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and has a sticker price of $82,750. The average need-based scholarship is $54,032, resulting in an average out-of-pocket cost of $28,718 for first-year students with need-based aid. The average share of need met for these students is 90%.

St. Louis-based Washington University has a sticker price of $87,644, with an average need-based scholarship of $65,777. This leaves an average out-of-pocket cost of $21,867 for first-year students with need-based aid, resulting in a 100% share of need being met.

The average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts is 100%. The sticker price of the college is $86,993, and the average need-based scholarship is $56,825. The total out-of-pocket cost for first-year students with need-based aid is $30,168.

Crawfordsville, Indiana-based Wabash College has a sticker price of $65,200, with an average need-based scholarship of $39,846. This leaves an average out-of-pocket cost of $25,354 for first-year students with need-based aid, resulting in an average share of need met of 94%.

The College of the Atlantic is located in Bar Harbor, Maine, and has a sticker price of $58,401. The average need-based scholarship is $39,055, and the total out-of-pocket cost for first-year students with need-based aid is $19,346. The average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid is 96%.

Thomas Aquinas College is located in Santa Paula, California, and has a sticker price of $47,465. The average need-based scholarship is $18,709, and the total out-of-pocket cost for first-year students with need-based aid is $28,756. The average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid is 100%.

Reed College is located in Portland, Oregon, and has a sticker price of $87,010. The average need-based scholarship is $47,265, resulting in an average out-of-pocket cost of $39,745 for first-year students with need-based aid. The average share of need met for these students is 100%.

Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and has a sticker price of $85,820. The average need-based scholarship is $70,764, which means that the total out-of-pocket cost for first-year students with need-based aid is $15,056. Additionally, the average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid is 100%.

Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and has a sticker price of $82,650. The average need-based scholarship is $70,246, and the total out-of-pocket cost for first-year students with need-based aid is $12,404. The average share of need met for first-year students with need-based aid is 100%.