Get matched with vetted scholarships and enter our
I’m a high school student I’m a college or graduate student
100% Free. No Spam.
Start typing in the text field above
Load More
Advertiser disclosure

Student-centric advice and objective recommendations

Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here.

Top Need-Blind Colleges and Universities

Written by Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman

Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is a content editor and writer at Scholarships360. He has managed communications and written content for a diverse array of organizations, including a farmer’s market, a concert venue, a student farm, an environmental NGO, and a PR agency. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology.

Full Bio

Learn about our editorial policies

Updated: December 11th, 2023

Need-blind colleges and universities don’t take financial need into account when they make admissions decisions. That means students who would need considerable financial support will not be at a disadvantage compared to high-income students. If you have high financial need, be sure to apply to several need-blind schools to maximize your chances of admission.

Our list allows you to compare need-blind schools by their size, cost, admissions rate, and graduation rate. Scroll down to find the right need-blind school for you.

Read More
Get Started

Join for exclusive scholarships, personalized matching, and application tracking. 0% Spam, 100% Free.

37 colleges
Sort by
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Cambridge, MA

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

4% acceptance rate
4,629 undergraduate students
96% graduation rate
$5,084 average per year after aid
Learn More
Get Started

Join for exclusive scholarships, personalized matching, and application tracking. 0% Spam, 100% Free.

Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private, Non-Profit, Suburb, Need-Blind

Stanford, CA

Private, Non-Profit, Suburb, Need-Blind

4% acceptance rate
7,645 undergraduate students
96% graduation rate
$7,200 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Princeton, NJ

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

4% acceptance rate
5,236 undergraduate students
98% graduation rate
$11,080 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Philadelphia, PA

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

6% acceptance rate
10,644 undergraduate students
96% graduation rate
$14,851 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

New York, NY

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

4% acceptance rate
8,832 undergraduate students
97% graduation rate
$12,836 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Cambridge, MA

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

4% acceptance rate
7,938 undergraduate students
97% graduation rate
$13,259 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

New Haven, CT

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

5% acceptance rate
6,535 undergraduate students
97% graduation rate
$16,341 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Baltimore, MD

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

8% acceptance rate
5,727 undergraduate students
95% graduation rate
$14,254 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Pomona College

Claremont, CA • Private, Non-Profit, Suburb, Need-Blind

Claremont, CA

Private, Non-Profit, Suburb, Need-Blind

7% acceptance rate
1,747 undergraduate students
93% graduation rate
$9,170 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Washington, DC

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

12% acceptance rate
7,395 undergraduate students
95% graduation rate
$24,570 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Rice University

Houston, TX • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Houston, TX

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

9% acceptance rate
4,240 undergraduate students
92% graduation rate
$17,805 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Williams College

Williamstown, MA • Private, Non-Profit, Town, Need-Blind

Williamstown, MA

Private, Non-Profit, Town, Need-Blind

9% acceptance rate
2,129 undergraduate students
94% graduation rate
$14,739 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Amherst College

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

Amherst, MA

Private, Non-Profit, Suburb, Need-Blind

9% acceptance rate
1,971 undergraduate students
92% graduation rate
$17,304 average per year after aid
Learn More

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Pasadena, CA

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

4% acceptance rate
987 undergraduate students
93% graduation rate
$29,279 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Ithaca, NY

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

9% acceptance rate
15,451 undergraduate students
94% graduation rate
$29,011 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private, Non-Profit, Suburb, Need-Blind

Swarthmore, PA

Private, Non-Profit, Suburb, Need-Blind

8% acceptance rate
1,643 undergraduate students
94% graduation rate
$20,780 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Nashville, TN

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

7% acceptance rate
7,104 undergraduate students
93% graduation rate
$22,204 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

Brown University

Providence, RI • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Providence, RI

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

6% acceptance rate
7,125 undergraduate students
96% graduation rate
$26,308 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College

Duke University

Durham, NC • Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

Durham, NC

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

6% acceptance rate
6,815 undergraduate students
96% graduation rate
$31,416 average per year after aid
Learn More
Top College Top College
Top College Top College: Affordability

University of Chicago

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

Chicago, IL

Private, Non-Profit, City, Need-Blind

6% acceptance rate
7,558 undergraduate students
96% graduation rate
$22,690 average per year after aid
Learn More
  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Next Page Icon
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.

Why you should apply to need-blind colleges

Students who have significant financial need should definitely incorporate need-blind schools into their application strategy. If your FAFSA and/or CSS Profile indicate a high level of need, you’ll be a disadvantage in the admissions process at any need-aware school. This does not mean you can’t get accepted, but the school will be prioritizing students who do not need financial aid.

Need-blind schools, on the other hand, will consider your application without looking at your financial information, meaning you’ll start off on equal footing with all the other applicants.

Other college lists to explore

Frequently asked questions

How is need-blind different from meeting full need?

A school that is need-blind does not take need into consideration when they decide who to admit. Meeting full need, on the other hand, only affects students who have already been admitted. Schools that meet full need will offer admitted students a financial package that covers the entire difference between their ability to pay and the cost of attendance.

What is the hardest need-blind school to get into?

Nearly all of the country’s most competitive schools are also need-blind. Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Columbia, and Princeton all have some of the nation’s lowest acceptance rates, hovering around 4%, and they are also need-blind.
Get Started

Join for exclusive scholarships, personalized matching, and application tracking. 0% Spam, 100% Free.

3 reasons to join scholarships360

  • Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
  • Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
  • Quick apply for scholarships exclusive to our platform

By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

Join For Free