Welcome to Scholarships Hall Top 13 Tuition Free Universities in the World. Tuition free universities appear to be a wonderful, but improbable fantasy for most college-bound students. You may believe that full scholarships are only available to super-intelligent and star athletes and that a pile of student loans is the price you must pay for a university education.
That, however, is not the case. Nobody deserves to be saddled with crippling debt when they graduate from college, and you don’t have to be if you plan ahead of time. In the United States, there are a number of tuition-free colleges and institutions, as well as other ways to acquire free tuition at others – you just need to know where to look. Read this article to the end to get a complete guide on how to attend a tuition free university.
Read also: 7 Cheapest Universities in New Zealand for International students
Why We Need Tuition Free Universities
Financially, it’s a difficult time to attend college. In relation to average income, tuition rates are at an all-time high, and growth rates show no signs of diminishing. Despite appeals from a variety of sources to reduce public college tuition or provide free alternatives – it was, after all, one of the central themes of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ campaign – tuition fees continue to rise.
Tuition costs at public institutions have risen for eight years in a row, according to the College Board, but financial aid has not kept pace. Tuition at private colleges and the best-ranked public flagships has increased at a rate that is more than double that of inflation. This has been going on for a decade.
These increases indicate that the gap between the cost of college and the ability to pay for it is expanding. There is no problem if tuition is low and financial aid is high; if tuition is high and financial aid is low, the shortfall must be made up in some way.
Unfortunately, students loans, Parent-Plus loans, and, worst of all, high-interest private loans are frequently used to bridge the gap. Students loans are counted as “financial help” by colleges, but we all know what that means: you’re robbing Future You to pay for the Now You.
Read also: 10 Cheapest Universities in Spain for International Students
What Do We Mean By “Tuition Free Universities”?
Tuition-free is a difficult term to define, just as determining the true cost of a college education is difficult. You may be able to earn free tuition in a variety of ways:
The Ivy League and other renowned colleges and institutions are dedicated to attracting the brightest students, regardless of their financial status. These exceptionally affluent colleges, with large endowments (the amount of money invested by the college) and generous alumni, usually ensure that all accepted students may pay for their education entirely through scholarships and grants, with no loans or out-of-pocket payments.
Military academies in the United States are open to anyone who is admitted. The military academies, like the Ivy Leagues, are exceedingly exclusive; only a small percentage of students who apply meet the stringent requirements, and even then, many will not graduate. Everyone who makes the cut, however, receives free tuition, lodging, and board.
Low-income students, first-generation college students, foster children, and other underrepresented groups may be able to obtain free college programs. Haskell Indian Nations University, for example, is open to all Native American tribe members, whereas Alice Lloyd College is open to all Appalachian Mountain students.
Labour programs were formerly fairly widespread – especially during the Great Depression in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – but a few select universities now provide free tuition in exchange for student work. College of the Ozarks80, for example, upholds that historical legacy — albeit without the arduous farm labor of the past.
It’s crucial to remember that even if your tuition is covered, everything else may not be, because there are numerous costs connected with a college education that aren’t covered by tuition: accommodation, meals, activity fees, books, supplies, and tickets to major sporting events (you have to camp out for those).
Scholarships Hall featured tuition free universities are listed below with details about the school to enable you make an informed decision.
13 Tuition Free Universities in the World
1 Stanford University
Stanford University, as the central institution in Silicon Valley, is by far the most popular “Dream College” among thousands of American students. It is number one among the tuition free universities we will discuss in this article.
Stanford University was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford with the intention of becoming the Cornell of the west, styled after the Ivy League university that pioneered engineering and applied sciences. Stanford, on the other hand, turned out to be much more, especially after WWII, when it took a creative, entrepreneurial turn.
Stanford contributed to the creation of the modern world, which is centered on Silicon Valley, by promoting and investing in the technological inventions of its students and professors. Stanford has produced Nobel Laureates and Turing Award winners, as well as internationally known billionaires and corporations such as Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, and Google.
Stanford’s only goal is to keep that history alive for as long as possible, and it does so by recruiting the world’s most promising, inventive, and ambitious students. Stanford follows the Ivy League’s lead by pledging that every accepted student would have all of their financial needs addressed without the need for student loans.
To fulfill their demonstrated need, every student receives scholarships, grants, and other non-loan aid; approximately half of Stanford students receive need-based aid as well.
Stanford provides full scholarships to nearly every student whose family earns less than $65,000 per year, and many students graduate debt-free.
Just the Facts: Stanford University is regarded as one of the world’s leading private higher education institutions, as well as one of the greatest tuition-free colleges for certain undergraduates. Stanford University, as one of the greatest institutions with free tuition, offers a complete grant for undergraduate tuition to parents earning less than $150,000 per year.
Link to school website
Read also: 1 year Masters Programs in Canada for International Students
2 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
This is also one of the tuition free universities we will be talking about. There aren’t enough words to describe Harvard University; there aren’t enough adjectives for “best,” “highest,” and “most.” Harvard was America’s first institution and legal company, founded in 1636. It is the world’s wealthiest university, with the largest endowment of any college or university and the highest number of US presidents of any institution.
Harvard has been named the best university in the world in every year of the Academic Ranking of World Universities, despite a fierce competition with Princeton University for first place in U.S. News & World Report. In short, Harvard has long been a model of academic brilliance (and has never been shy about saying so).
Harvard maintains its prestigious reputation by attracting the world’s best professors, researchers, and administrators, but none of this would be worthwhile if the university did not also attract the brightest students. The Harvard Financial Aid Initiative has gone a long way toward demonstrating that Harvard is accessible to low- and middle-income households.
Harvard, like its Ivy League rivals, ensures that financial need or hardship never prevents it from recruiting the best students in the world. All of a student’s needs are satisfied without the use of student loans, thanks to scholarships, grants, and work-study programs. Families making less than $65,000 per year, which account for 20% of Harvard students, pay nothing at all, and a high percentage graduate with no debt.
Just the Facts: Harvard University is one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious universities. Harvard is one of the institutions that offers free tuition to approved students from families earning less than $65,000 per year. Harvard, as one of the greatest tuition-free institutions, also provides alternative funding options for students.
Link to school website
3 Yale University New Haven, CT
This is number three among the tuition free universities we will discuss in this article. We’re talking about Yale University when we talk about the Ivy League. Yale University is America’s third-oldest university, one of the Colonial Colleges (established in 1701), and a benchmark for higher education. It has produced Presidents, Senators, Supreme Court justices, CEOs, and some of the country’s most significant cultural icons.
Yale has been a foundational institution in higher education, not just leading research but also establishing standards of academic quality and fostering traditions that we consider fundamental to the American collegiate experience, such as football and Greek life. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Yale as one of the top three colleges in the country, and it leads global rankings as well.
Yale’s wealth (the second greatest endowment in the US) and prestige imply that finding and enrolling the highest-performing students in the country, regardless of income or background, is the main focus in recruitment. Yale has committed to meeting the financial requirements of all students, including international students and undocumented immigrants protected by DACA.
Families making less than $65,000 per year are exempt from making a financial contribution, and all students’ remaining financial needs are met by scholarships rather than student loans. In fact, 85 percent of Yale graduates graduate with no student debt. A Yale education is one of the best buys in the world.
Simply the facts: Yale University, founded in 1701, is the nation’s third-oldest higher education institution and one of the finest tuition-free universities for students from families earning less than $65,000 per year. Yale University offers a full-ride scholarship that includes room and board as well as free tuition, making it one of the best institutions with free tuition.
Link to school website
Read also: 19 Best Acting Schools in Canada | Ranking
4 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
Princeton Institution is a member of the Ivy League and a Colonial College in New Jersey. It is one of the tuition free universities. It was founded in 1746 as the American Colonies’ fourth university. Princeton was created as a seminary and college in the Scots-Irish Presbyterian tradition, but it evolved far beyond those confines, influencing American higher education in the process.
Princeton has produced Nobel Prize, Turing Award, National Medal of Science, and National Medal of Humanities recipients among its teachers and graduates in subjects ranging from political science to engineering.
Presidents, members of Congress, and Supreme Court justices have all graduated from Princeton, in addition to billionaires and CEOs. U.S. News & World Report and Forbes consistently rank Princeton among the top two or three national universities.
Princeton University continues the Ivy League tradition of attracting and accepting only the best students, which they do not only through world-class professors and industry contacts, but also through highly substantial financial aid.
Princeton was the first university in the United States to totally abolish student loans from its financial aid packages, a move that was quickly adopted by many of its Ivy League counterparts; all students demonstrated a need that was met by scholarships and grants.
In reality, every student whose family earns less than $65,000 receives grants that cover 100 percent of their expenses and do not require repayment. More than 80% of Princeton graduates graduate debt-free, making Princeton a zero-cost investment.
Princeton University was founded in the mid-1740s and is one of the top tuition-free universities for students because it provides a full-ride – tuition, room, and board – to families earning less than $54,000 per year. Princeton University remains one of the greatest institutions offering free tuition for students whose parents earn less than $120,000.
Link to school website
5 Columbia University New York, NY
Columbia University, founded in 1754, is New York’s oldest college and a member of the Ivy League, along with the other Colonial Colleges. This is another university among the tuition free universities discussed in this article. Since New York City was a burgeoning port town, Columbia has been a vital part of the city’s life, training business leaders, professors, artists, writers, and even US Founding Fathers.
Columbia has Nobel Laureates, National Medal of Science and Humanities recipients, and even Academy Award winners among its graduates and professors; Columbia also awards the coveted Pulitzer Prize. Columbia is consistently ranked among the top five colleges in the United States and among the top ten universities in the world.
Columbia University is one of the top three most selective universities in the US, accepting less than 6% of applications. It takes its aim to attract the best students from around the world very seriously. Columbia takes education so seriously that, together with its Ivy League counterparts, it provides more than $140 million in scholarships and grants each year to help all students pay for their education without taking out student loans.
Students from every economic class are represented at Columbia thanks to need-blind applications and need-based financial aid, and students from families making less than $60,000 never pay anything. With its tremendous financial aid, Columbia maintains its reputation for only accepting the best of the best.
Just the Facts: Columbia University, located in New York City, is one of the greatest tuition-free institutions in the country, as well as an Ivy League institution. Students who are accepted will find that Columbia, which is listed among the best institutions for free tuition, offers a free ride to students from households earning $60,000 or less.
Link to school website
6 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Cornell University was created in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White as the Ivy League’s newest member, and it was intended to be different from the start.
Cornell was the only Ivy League university built after the beginning of the research university, while the rest of the Ivy League universities (save Penn) were founded as seminaries. As a result, it was the first Ivy League school to embrace technology and entrepreneurial innovation, serving as a model for subsequent colleges such as Stanford University.
Cornell is consistently ranked among the top 20 colleges in the world and in the United States by publications such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities and U.S. News & World Report, with a focus on community engagement and social mobility.
Cornell, like its Ivy League peers, is committed to removing any financial barriers that might prevent the finest and brightest students from thinking they can attend Cornell. Cornell was created with the objective of offering education for all at a time when college was still predominantly for the wealthy, and the university is now committed to serving the needs of low and middle-income students without the use of student loans.
Scholarships and grants cover all of the demonstrated needs of students whose families earn less than $75,000 per year, so they don’t need to take out student loans.
Just the Facts: Cornell University is regarded as one of the greatest institutions in the Empire State, offering free tuition to students from households earning $60,000 or less. Cornell University is not only one of the greatest tuition-free universities in the country, but it also has the highest acceptance rate – more than 10% of all applications received are accepted.
Link to school website
Read also: 13 Best Animation Schools in Japan | Latest update
7 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
This is another of the tuition free universities, the University of Pennsylvania is a significant institution. Eight other institutions can claim Colonial College heritage, having been formed before the American Revolution; others, such as the University of Virginia, can claim to have been founded by one of the founding fathers of the United States.
Only the University of Pennsylvania, however, was founded by Benjamin Franklin, who was guided by the same Enlightenment ideas of reason, science, and liberty that guided the creation of the United States. Penn was the first university in America to be named a “university,” and it houses the United States’ first medical school and business school.
Penn is consistently regarded as one of the top ten colleges in the United States, as well as one of the greatest in the world.
Penn’s recruitment is one of the reasons it remains at the top. Thanks to its need-blind admissions criteria (which does not consider income) and need-based financial aid, Penn is able to attract some of the best students in the world from all classes and backgrounds.
Simply defined, Penn, like other Ivy League universities, ensures that all admitted undergraduate students have their demonstrated need met without the need of student loans.
All financial assistance is offered in the form of grants and work study, which are never repaid, and the majority of Penn students leave debt-free. Lower-income students may be required to pay nothing to attend the university that characterized American higher education.
Just the Facts: The University of Pennsylvania is an ivy league school that is also regarded as one of the best colleges in the county, with tuition free. Penn is a tuition-free university that strives to make education cheap and accessible to all students, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Link to school website
8 Duke University Durham, NC
We can finish our discussion of the tuition free universities, without mentionioning Duke University. It was founded in 1838 as a private research university. Trinity College, located in Durham, North Carolina, was founded by a group of Methodists and Quakers. Trinity College is still the name of the university’s undergraduate liberal arts college.
The complex is made up of three continuous campuses that cover an area of 8,500 acres. Duke University is noted for its high level of research, with the seventh greatest research spending of any university in the country.
In addition, they employ 37,000 people, making them the country’s second largest employer. The famed Duke Chapel in the heart of campus, which offers the greatest point of elevation, is the focal point of the main campus.
The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program at Duke University is for a limited group of young people who are passionate about societal change. This program annually chooses a broad group of students who have demonstrated such promise and ability.
Each scholarship recipient receives a four-year scholarship that covers full undergraduate tuition, lodging and board, as well as other mandatory expenditures. Three summers of international and domestic experiences, as well as professional growth and leadership opportunities, are provided to scholars.
Scholars also get access to alumni, faculty, and a peer community. Throughout the scholarship experience, many aspects of cooperation, community building, and change-making are developed, providing students with vital skills that will impact their life and career paths.
Just the Facts: Duke University is regarded as one of the best research institutes and tuition-free colleges in the country, with one of the best medical schools in the country. Duke University is one of Maryland’s premier institutions, offering free tuition to students from households earning $60,000 or less.
Link to school website
Read also: 10 Most Affordable Law Schools in the United States
9 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
This is one of the tuition free universities, Dartmouth College was the ninth and final of the Colonial Colleges, which were established prior to the American Revolution in 1769. Dartmouth’s original aim was to impart Christianity and Christian instruction to Native Americans, but the school gradually became a Congregational ministerial seminary.
Dartmouth remained a modest and unknown Ivy League college until the twentieth century, when it began to grow into a research university comparable to its rivals.
Dartmouth is a comprehensive, doctoral-level research institution that is consistently regarded as one of the nation’s best undergraduate instructors, despite the fact that it retains the moniker “college” and is the smallest of the Ivy League schools. Dartmouth is ranked as the 11th best national institution in the United States by U.S. News & World Report – not bad for a small school.
Dartmouth, like its neighboring Ivy League universities, ensures that every accepted student’s financial needs are satisfied without the need of student loans, yet the college has not completely eradicated the use of student loans.
They are, however, considerably more generous to their low and middle-income students than their counterparts – no student from a household earning less than $100,000 per year is required to pay anything for their education.
Students pay for their tuition through scholarships and on-campus work study positions, and while students or their families may take out loans to help with expenditures, loans are never factored into a student’s financial aid package. This strategy aids Dartmouth in attracting the greatest students to the best tiny Ivy League college.
Just the Facts: Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, was founded in 1769 and is an ivy league school that also happens to be one of the greatest colleges in the world, offering free tuition to entering students from households earning $100,000 or less. Dartmouth is one of the tuition-free institutions that also offers sliding help to other families.
Link to school website
10 Brown University Providence, RI
Brown University is one of America’s most prestigious and influential institutions. Brown University was founded in 1764 and is an original Ivy League university. We can’t forget Brown University in our list of tuition free universities. It is one of nine historical Colonial Colleges created before the American Revolution. Brown was the first university in the United States to enroll students regardless of religious affiliation, and the first Ivy League college to start an engineering program.
In the twentieth century, Brown also pioneered curriculum reform with the New Curriculum, commonly known as the Brown Curriculum; by eliminating general education classes, Brown was the first university to allow students to choose their own academic route in pass/no-credit courses. U.S. News & World Report ranks Brown as one of the top 20 universities in the country, with Nobel Laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and Supreme Court justices among its alumni.
Brown University, like many of its Ivy League competitors, provides considerable financial help. Since 2008, the Brown Promise has ensured that all students admitted into a Brown undergraduate program have their whole need satisfied without the use of debt. Brown announced in 2017 that loans would be removed entirely from financial aid packages, with all remaining costs covered by scholarships and campus employment once the family contribution was calculated.
While students can still take out loans on their own, Brown ensures that they are not essential, even for the poorest students. As a result, Brown’s application is completely need-blind; applicants are accepted solely on the basis of their academic achievement, not their financial ability.
Just the Facts: Brown University is Rhode Island’s finest tuition-free college, since it provides complete financial aid to students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year. Brown University is a colonial school that was formed in 1764 and is one of the greatest colleges with free tuition.
Link to school website
Read also: 13 Best Film schools in Texas | Rankings
11 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
UNC, or UNC Chapel Hill, is the abbreviation for the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, it is another university in our list of tuition free universities. They are a public research institute with a strong research program. The university is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on a 729-acre campus. It features the Morehead Planetarium and is located in the heart of Chapel Hill, including much of the downtown area.
The University of North Carolina (UNC) was the state’s first public school of higher learning, opening its doors in 1795. The Tarheel is the sporting mascot of the university, which today has a student population of about 30,000.
They are a campus noted for its spirit, which comprises 550 student-run groups in addition to several sports teams and leisure events. They also house WXYC, a student radio station that broadcast the first online radio broadcast in the world.
The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program, which is co-sponsored by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University, selects many young leaders who are committed to social change.
This is a prominent program that recognizes a diverse group of students who have excelled academically and demonstrated community leadership. Each scholarship recipient receives a four-year scholarship that covers full undergraduate tuition, lodging and board, as well as other mandatory expenditures.
Three summers of international and domestic experiences, as well as professional growth and leadership opportunities, are provided to scholars. Scholars also get access to alumni, faculty, and a peer community.
Just the Facts: The University of North Carolina, as one of the greatest tuition-free universities in the south, automatically examines entering students for full-ride scholarships. Each year, UNC awards four full scholarships to one of the greatest institutions in the country, with free tuition based on academic excellence and extracurricular activity.
Link to school website
12 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
Another university among the tuition free universities we will be discussing in this article is Vanderbilt University. It is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, with a 330-acre campus. The school was named after Cornelius Vanderbilt, a philanthropist who donated one million dollars to help get the school off the ground in the hopes of restoring some of the grandeur of the area after the Civil War.
Vandy, as it is known among friends, annually enrolls about 12,500 students and employs nearly 4,000 academic staff members. For the past 50 years, the Vanderbilt athletic teams have been a founding member of the Southeastern Athletic Conference, and the school has been the conference’s only private school since its inception.
The Ingram Scholarship Program at Vanderbilt University is a valuable opportunity that encourages students to think critically while pursuing solutions to some of the world’s most difficult problems. All of this, in addition to preparing them for a successful professional career. Students who participate in the program must work in nonprofit and government organizations while also developing self-sustaining enterprises.
Earning the Ingram Scholarship entails receiving full tuition as well as a stipend for summer volunteer initiatives. While receiving these benefits, students must volunteer for at least 20 hours per week. Students who complete this program will join a lifelong network of academics who will help them advance in their jobs and future activities.
Just the Facts: Vanderbilt University is one of Tennessee’s greatest institutions, with free tuition and grants rather than loans depending on a student’s financial need. Vanderbilt University, as one of the best universities in the country with free tuition, has witnessed a considerable reduction in student loan debt.
Link to school website
Read also: 8 Free Online Beauty Courses with Certificates
13 United States Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point, NY
This is the last in our list of tuition free universities, the Merchant Marine is a branch of the military tasked with transporting soldiers of the US military during conflict and delivering and receiving merchandise throughout the world’s waterways. All financial assistance is offered in the form of grants and work study, which are never repaid, and the majority of Penn students leave debt-free.
It is one of the United States’ seven marine academies. The USMMA educates officers for the US Merchant Marine, military branches, and the transportation industry. The academy’s students specialize in one of two academic fields:
marine transportation or marine engineering. Ship navigation, cargo handling, navigation rules, and marine law are all topics covered by transportation students. The function of the ship’s engines and supporting systems is taught to engineering students. Deck majors and engine majors are two terms used to describe students.
The USMMA, like all of the military service academies, offers this highly selective 4-year school to young people without the expectation of paying tuition. Officers who complete the USMMA must agree to keeping their merchant mariner license for a period of six years after graduation.
They must also serve for five years as a merchant marine officer on a US military or civilian ship or in a maritime-related job. They could also serve 5 years as a commissioned officer in any of the US Uniformed Services, including the Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines, and others, if they prefer.
Just the Facts: The United States Merchant Marine Academy is a military university in the United States that offers free tuition and a 25% acceptance rate. The USMMA offers free tuition and covers the costs of room and board, textbooks, medical care, and uniforms, making it one of the greatest tuition-free institutions in the country.
Link to school website
Trust you enjoyed our article on Top 13 Tuition Free Universities in the World. Follow our website for related updates.
