Here is a list of colleges that are tuition FREE - that's right, NO cost to the student or their parents!
Some are specialty schools and have specific qualifications, so please check thoroughly before applying.
Alice Lloyd College
Location: Pippa Passes, Ky.
Specialty: Liberal arts college with work-study program serving students from 108-county service area in rural Appalachia.
How to get in: Applicants must score at least a 17 on the ACT or 430 verbal and 400 math on their SAT. They must have at least a 2.25 GPA (grade point average) in pre-college curriculum courses.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 1,365 students who applied in 2007, 43% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $7,000.
Berea College
Location: Berea, Ky.
Specialty: Liberal arts college with required work-study program.
How to get in: Most students score between 20 and 30 on the ACT or between 1410 and 1980 on the SAT. Applicants are expected to have a GPA of at least 3.0. The majority of applicants have limited financial resources and come from Appalachia.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 2,083 students who applied in 2007, 28% were accepted.
City University of New York's Teacher Academy
Location: New York
Specialty: The academy, in its second year, prepares undergraduates to be math or science teachers in New York city's public middle and high schools.
How to get in: The school looks for applicants who are strong in science and mathematics and want to become teachers. Applicants need a high overall GPA, as well as high scores on the SAT or ACT.
Percentage of students accepted: Out of the 400 students who applied in 2007, about 120 were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $5,000. Students can earn up to $1,600 annually for fieldwork in partner host schools.
College of the Ozarks
Location: Point Lookout, Mo.
Specialty: Liberal arts college with required work-study program.
How to get in: Ninety percent of each entering class must demonstrate financial need. Students should be in the top half of their graduating class and have at least a 19 on the ACT or a 910 on the SAT.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 2,728 students who applied in 2007, 12% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $15,900.
Cooper Union
Location: New York
Specialty: Engineering, art, and architecture.
How to get in: Applicants need to submit a portfolio and complete a home test of six or seven projects. Architecture applicants are accepted based on their academic achievement and a home test evaluation. Engineering students are admitted based on their high school average, SAT scores, and other math or science exams.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 2,551 students who applied in 2007, 11% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $31,500.
Curtis Institute of Music
Location: Philadelphia
Specialty: Music conservatory.
How to get in: The school seeks students with strong musical aptitude who want to pursue a professional music career. Students must submit an application and schedule an audition at the school.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 834 students who
applied in 2007, 7% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $32,500.
Deep Springs College
Location: Deep Springs, Calif.
Specialty: All-male liberal arts college located in a remote desert area with a focus on academics, labor, and self-governance.
How to get in: Applicants must take the SAT or ACT and complete a two-stage application.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 200 students who applied in 2007, about 7% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition (includes room and board): $50,000.
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Location: Needham, Mass.
Specialty: Engineering school.
How to get in: The school looks for students with a strong calculus and physics foundation. Applicants are asked to take either the SAT or ACT, along with two SAT subject tests in math and science.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 1,054 who applied in 2007, 11% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $33,600.
U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Location: Various
Specialty: Military, Air Force, Naval, and Coast Guard studies.
How to get in: Applicants must complete a physical fitness test, a medical examination, and either the SAT or ACT. In addition, applicants are required to obtain a congressional nomination from a member of the applicant's state congressional delegation. Other requirements vary by school.
Percentage of students accepted: The U.S. Military Academy and Naval Academy each have acceptance rates between 14% and 15%, while the Air Force Academy accepts about 19% of its applicants and the Coast Guard Academy accepts 24%.
Estimated value of tuition: $187,000 over four years at the U.S. Military Academy. Students get an average monthly stipend of $800.
US NAVAL ACADEMY
US MILITARY ACADEMY
US MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY
US COAST GUARD ACADEMY
Webb Institute
Location: Glen Cove, N.Y.
Specialty: Naval architecture and marine engineering.
How to get in: The school looks for applicants with a strong engineering background. Students must have at least a B average in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, as well as strong grades in other subjects. The average SAT score for students is 1370, out of 1600.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 102 students who applied in 2007, 31% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $28,000.
