Paying for College: Overview | Financial Aid at Top Colleges | Net Price Calculators | Glossary
The biggest mistake that students can make when assessing what type of college they can afford to attend is looking at the sticker price, or full cost of attendance, rather than the net price, which is the difference between the full cost of attendance and any grants and scholarships. The net price calculator was developed to give students a clearer picture of the type of institution they can afford.
All colleges are required to provide net price calculators for prospective students on their websites. With net price calculators, students can explore and estimate how much it will cost their family to attend an individual college based on their family's specific financial circumstances. In other words, the net price calculator will evaluate their eligibility for financial aid. We also encourage you to explore each college's financial aid websites for further information. Links to the net price calculators for all of our college partners are provided below:
Net Price Calculators | |
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California Institute of Technology |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Southern California |