Cost is just one factor to weigh when determining which college is right for you. The list below gives a glimpse into how much some students pay for college. These are the 50 most expensive private colleges in the United States. Tuition listed is for one full academic year, based on 2007 data.The list includes colleges big and small from across the country.

Note: The cost of college can vary greatly depending on what merit aid is offered by the college. If you qualify for merit aid, a college that otherwise is unaffordable may be right in your price range.

These are the 50 most expensive private colleges and universities.

College	City	State	Full-time undergrads	Tuition
George Washington University	Washington	DC	10,530	$39,240
Kenyon College	Gambier	OH	1,734	$38,140
Bucknell University	Lewisburg	PA	3,536	$38,134
Vassar College	Poughkeepsie	NY	2,472	$38,115
Sarah Lawrence College	Bronxville	NY	1,314	$38,090
Colgate University	Hamilton	NY	2,742	$37,660
University of Richmond	Richmond	VA	3,280	$37,610
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh	PA	5,547	$37,354
Columbia University	New York	NY	7,624	$37,223
Pepperdine University	Malibu	CA	3,284	$37,000
Trinity College	Hartford	CT	2,277	$36,870
Hamilton College	Clinton	NY	1,793	$36,860
Skidmore College	Saratoga Springs	NY	2,785	$36,860
Wesleyan University	Middletown	CT	3,026	$36,806
Bennington College	Bennington	VT	505	$36,800
Hobart William Smith Colleges	Geneva	NY	1,899	$36,718
Tufts University	Medford	MA	4,659	$36,700
Wheaton College	Norton	MA	1,595	$36,690
Tulane University of Louisiana	New Orleans	LA	6,008	$36,610
St John’s College	Annapolis	MD	506	$36,596
St John’s College	Santa Fe	NM	475	$36,596
Hampshire College	Amherst	MA	1,402	$36,545
Bard College	Annandale-On-Hudson	NY	2,085	$36,534
Franklin and Marshall College	Lancaster	PA	2,160	$36,480
Reed College	Portland	OR	1,263	$36,420
Bowdoin College	Brunswick	ME	1,714	$36,370
Brown University	Providence	RI	5,770	$36,342
Oberlin College	Oberlin	OH	2,714	$36,282
Amherst College	Amherst	MA	1,639	$36,232
Carleton College	Northfield	MN	1,925	$36,156
Georgetown University	Washington	DC	6,883	$35,964
Mount Holyoke College	South Hadley	MA	2,292	$35,940
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	PA	13,825	$35,916
Pitzer College	Claremont	CA	877	$35,912
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore	MD	5,892	$35,900
University of Chicago	Chicago	IL	4,781	$35,868
Scripps College	Claremont	CA	866	$35,850
University of Southern California	Los Angeles	CA	17,854	$35,809
Dickinson College	Carlisle	PA	2,576	$35,784
Gettysburg College	Gettysburg	PA	2,710	$35,770
Brandeis University	Waltham	MA	3,713	$35,702
Boston College	Chestnut Hill	MA	9,702	$35,674
Williams College	Williamstown	MA	2,045	$35,670
Lehigh University	Bethlehem	PA	4,952	$35,610
St Lawrence University	Canton	NY	2,134	$35,600
Washington University in St Louis	Saint Louis	MO	7,109	$35,524
Duke University	Durham	NC	7,831	$35,512
Washington and Lee University	Lexington	VA	1,771	$35,445
Mills College	Oakland	CA	845	$35,440
Northwestern University	Evanston	IL	8,429	$35,429