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    Top Colleges With Free Applications

    Cait Williams Written by Cait Williams
    Cait Williams

    Cait Williams is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cait recently graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications. During her time at OU, was active in the outdoor recreation community.

    Full Bio

    Learn about our editorial policies

    Posted: February 22nd, 2024

    As you might know by now, college application fees are certainly not cheap. When you have to pay upwards of four or five application fees, that money adds up! So, let’s dive right in and look at some colleges that do not charge to apply!

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    54 colleges
    Sort by
    C

    University of Chicago

    Chicago, IL • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

    Top College Top College, Top Affordability
    Top College Top College
    Top College: Affordability Top College: Affordability

    Located in Chicago, Illinois, the University of Chicago is known for its rigorous academics and distinctive Core Curriculum, emphasizing broad-based education in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

    Located in Chicago, Illinois, the University of Chicago is known…Read More

    5% acceptance
    96% graduation rate
    7,511 undergrads
    $20,531 net price
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    C

    Colby College

    Waterville, ME • Private, Non-Profit, Town

    Top College Top College, Top Affordability
    Top College Top College
    Top College: Affordability Top College: Affordability

    Located in Waterville, Maine, Colby College boasts a unique academic schedule called the Jan Plan, which gives students all of January to focus on one specific class, internship, or project.…Read More

    Located in Waterville, Maine, Colby College boasts a unique academic…Read More

    8% acceptance
    88% graduation rate
    2,299 undergrads
    $16,507 net price
    W

    Wellesley College

    Wellesley, MA • Private, Non-Profit, Suburb, Need-Blind

    Top College Top College, Top Affordability
    Top College Top College
    Top College: Affordability Top College: Affordability

    Wellesley College, situated in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is a women's liberal arts college known for its strong focus on women's education and leadership. The campus includes the scenic Lake Waban, which…Read More

    Wellesley College, situated in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is a women's liberal…Read More

    14% acceptance
    90% graduation rate
    2,353 undergrads
    $23,052 net price
    D

    Dickinson College

    Carlisle, PA • Private, Non-Profit, City

    Top College Top College, Top Affordability
    Top College Top College
    Top College: Affordability Top College: Affordability

    Dickinson College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. There are currently 2,083 undergraduates at Dickinson and the school’s acceptance rate is 35%. The tuition at Dickinson…

    Dickinson College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in…Read More

    35% acceptance
    84% graduation rate
    2,083 undergrads
    $30,345 net price
    M

    Mount Holyoke College

    South Hadley, MA • Private, Non-Profit, Suburb

    Mount Holyoke College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in South Hadley, Massachusetts. There are currently 2,183 undergraduates at Holyoke and the school’s acceptance rate is 40%. The tuition…

    Mount Holyoke College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located…Read More

    40% acceptance
    83% graduation rate
    2,183 undergrads
    $31,444 net price

    St Olaf College

    Northfield, MN • Private, Non-Profit, Town

    Nestled in Northfield, Minnesota, St. Olaf College is known for its strong music program, including the internationally acclaimed St. Olaf Choir. The college offers a comprehensive liberal arts education and…Read More

    Nestled in Northfield, Minnesota, St. Olaf College is known for…Read More

    56% acceptance
    85% graduation rate
    3,019 undergrads
    $21,996 net price
    T

    Trinity University

    San Antonio, TX • Private, Non-Profit, City

    Trinity University, situated in San Antonio, Texas, is a private liberal arts college known for its unique Spanish Colonial Revival architecture designed by the renowned architect O'Neil Ford. The campus…Read More

    Trinity University, situated in San Antonio, Texas, is a private…Read More

    31% acceptance
    76% graduation rate
    2,491 undergrads
    $23,567 net price
    W

    Wabash College

    Crawfordsville, IN • Private, Non-Profit, Town

    Wabash College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. There are currently 835 undergraduates at Wabash and the school’s acceptance rate is 61%. The tuition at Wabash…

    Wabash College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in…Read More

    61% acceptance
    75% graduation rate
    835 undergrads
    $22,067 net price
    C

    Carleton College

    Northfield, MN • Private, Non-Profit, Town

    Top College Top College
    Top College Top College

    Carleton College, located in Northfield, Minnesota, is known for its unique trimester system that provides students with flexibility in their academic scheduling. The campus features the Cowling Arboretum, an 800-acre…Read More

    Carleton College, located in Northfield, Minnesota, is known for its…Read More

    17% acceptance
    91% graduation rate
    2,007 undergrads
    $30,838 net price
    W

    Wheaton College

    Wheaton, IL • Private, Non-Profit, Suburb

    Wheaton College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in Wheaton, Illinois. There are currently 2,141 undergraduates at Wheaton and the school’s acceptance rate is 88%. The tuition at Wheaton…

    Wheaton College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in…Read More

    88% acceptance
    88% graduation rate
    2,141 undergrads
    $26,877 net price
    R

    Rhodes College

    Memphis, TN • Private, Non-Profit, City

    Rhodes College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in Memphis, Tennessee. There are currently 1,966 undergraduates at Rhodes and the school’s acceptance rate is 54%. The tuition at Rhodes…

    Rhodes College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in…Read More

    54% acceptance
    85% graduation rate
    1,966 undergrads
    $26,604 net price
    M

    Missouri University of Science and Technology

    Rolla, MO • Public, Town

    Top College Top College, Top Affordability
    Top College Top College
    Top College: Affordability Top College: Affordability

    Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public 4-year college located in Rolla, Missouri. There are currently 5,453 undergraduates at Missouri S&T and the school’s acceptance rate is 81%.…Read More

    Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public 4-year…Read More

    81% acceptance
    62% graduation rate
    5,453 undergrads
    $13,799 net price
    M

    Michigan Technological University

    Houghton, MI • Public, Town

    Michigan Technological University is a public 4-year college located in Houghton, Michigan. There are currently 5,633 undergraduates at Michigan Tech and the school’s acceptance rate is 94%. The tuition at…

    Michigan Technological University is a public 4-year college located in…Read More

    94% acceptance
    68% graduation rate
    5,633 undergrads
    $16,283 net price
    W

    Worcester Polytechnic Institute

    Worcester, MA • Private, Non-Profit, City

    Top College Top College
    Top College Top College

    Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in Worcester, Massachusetts. There are currently 5,146 undergraduates at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the school’s acceptance rate is 57%. The…

    Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private, non-profit 4-year college located…Read More

    57% acceptance
    89% graduation rate
    5,146 undergrads
    $44,100 net price
    S

    Smith College

    Northampton, MA • Private, Non-Profit, Suburb

    If you appreciate a self-directed education and a beautiful campus, Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, could be the school for you. The college's extensive Botanic Garden, including the Lyman Plant…Read More

    If you appreciate a self-directed education and a beautiful campus,…Read More

    23% acceptance
    89% graduation rate
    2,515 undergrads
    $31,087 net price

    Colorado College

    Colorado Springs, CO • Private, Non-Profit, City

    Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado College follows the innovative Block Plan, where students take one intensive course at a time for three-and-a-half weeks. This schedule allows for deep engagement…Read More

    Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado College follows the innovative…Read More

    16% acceptance
    86% graduation rate
    2,174 undergrads
    $28,892 net price
    G

    Grinnell College

    Grinnell, IA • Private, Non-Profit, Town, Need-Blind

    Top College Top College
    Top College Top College

    Grinnell College, located in Grinnell, Iowa, is known for its open curriculum, which allows students to design their own course of study with guidance from faculty advisors. Grinnell also offers…Read More

    Grinnell College, located in Grinnell, Iowa, is known for its…Read More

    11% acceptance
    88% graduation rate
    1,709 undergrads
    $17,772 net price
    D

    University of Dayton

    Dayton, OH • Private, Non-Profit, City

    University of Dayton is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in Dayton, Ohio. There are currently 8,349 undergraduates at Dayton and the school’s acceptance rate is 74%. The tuition at…

    University of Dayton is a private, non-profit 4-year college located…Read More

    74% acceptance
    81% graduation rate
    8,349 undergrads
    $29,442 net price
    H

    Hendrix College

    Conway, AR • Private, Non-Profit, City

    Top College Top Affordability
    Top College: Affordability Top College: Affordability

    Hendrix College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in Conway, Arkansas. There are currently 1,127 undergraduates at Hendrix and the school’s acceptance rate is 60%. The tuition at Hendrix…

    Hendrix College is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in…Read More

    60% acceptance
    69% graduation rate
    1,127 undergrads
    $22,780 net price
    S

    Saint Louis University

    Saint Louis, MO • Private, Non-Profit, City

    Saint Louis University is a private, non-profit 4-year college located in Saint Louis, Missouri. There are currently 7,332 undergraduates at SLU and the school’s acceptance rate is 85%. The tuition…

    Saint Louis University is a private, non-profit 4-year college located…Read More

    85% acceptance
    81% graduation rate
    7,332 undergrads
    $26,548 net price
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    About the Data

    We sort colleges on our lists according to their Scholarships360 Top Colleges Index Score. This score is calculated using up-to-date information taken directly from the College Scorecard. Additional information is sourced from the colleges themselves, as well as other publicly available information. If you see an error, feel free to contact us.

    Military academies

    Before we close, it’s worth noting that all United States military academies (including the Merchant Marine Academy above) also have free applications. While the application process for these schools can be long and rigorous, you’ll likely not find many other schools that can offer the quality of education they do and a free application. If you haven’t explored them as options, take a look and see for yourself whether one might be the right choice for you!

    Average cost of applying to college

    If an average student applies to between five and eight colleges, those fees can add up. With the average cost of each application landing between $50-$90, this means that students can end up spending well over $300 to $500 on applications alone. Considering that students may or may not be accepted into all those schools, and even if they are, they can only attend one, the price tag above can be a tough pill to swallow. So, applying to even just one or two schools with free applications can be a big help!

    Fee waivers

    If there is a college you really want to attend, but you cannot afford to pay their application fee, check with the school to see if there are any fee waivers that you may be eligible for. Fee waivers may cover the whole or partial cost of the application.

    Next Steps

    Next Steps

    • Paying college application fees can get expensive, which means that applying to some schools with zero application fees might be a great way to mitigate some costs 
    • You shouldn’t just apply to a school because they have no application fee, however, it’s worth looking into what schools with your major do offer free applications
    • Our list above is by far not exhaustive, but it is a start to help you explore what colleges might be out there
    • If the school you really want to apply to doesn’t have a free application, contact them to see if they have any fee waivers that you may be eligible to use

    Frequently asked questions about colleges with free applications 

    What does it mean when colleges send you free applications?

    Fee waivers allow students to apply to the colleges who send them without paying an application fee. Usually, these schools want to make sure certain students apply without worrying about fees.

    Is it better to apply through the Common App or directly?

    As long as the school you are applying to accepts the Common App, it should not matter much which one you apply through. Not all schools accept the Common App, so make sure that the schools you’re applying to accept it before you move forward with anything. You can usually check this by visiting the colleges website or logging on to the Common App website and searching your school.

    Does the Common App let you apply to colleges for free?

    The actual platform is free for students to use. While some colleges do charge an application fee on the Common App, others do not.

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