As college costs continue to rise across the United States, the 2026 edition of the “Best Colleges” guide by Princeton Review ranks the top 10 US colleges offering the most generous financial aid. The rankings are based on surveys from 170,000 students during the 2024–25 academic year, assessing how much financial aid is awarded and how satisfied students are with their packages.According to the data, some top-ranked schools offer average need-based scholarships exceeding $70,000, significantly lowering out-of-pocket expenses for students. The rankings take into account institutional grants, student satisfaction, and the overall affordability of college despite high sticker prices.Financial aid helps lower actual costsAlthough the total cost of attending college has reached new highs—nearing or crossing the $100,000 threshold at several US institutions—most families are not paying the full price. According to Sallie Mae’s “How America Pays for College” report for the 2024–25 academic year, the average amount families spent was closer to $31,000. The report found that, on average, parent income and savings covered about half of the cost, while scholarships and grants accounted for over a quarter. The remaining costs were largely covered by student loans.Chris Ebeling, head of student lending at Citizens, stated that families need a “multipoint plan” that involves more than just savings or debt, as reported by CNBC. Robert Franek, editor-in-chief at Princeton Review, told CNBC that “there are buckets of resource dollars available,” pointing to institutional aid offered by many universities in addition to federal and state support.Top 10 Best Schools for Financial Aid
As reported by CNBC, Franek stated that these schools “understand the pain points that families have in general and it is around cost, cost, cost.”TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
