Princeton made headlines this month with the announcement that it would expand its free tuition program, becoming the latest Ivy League university to make such an announcement. Audacy looked into what other prestigious universities are offering tuition free attendance programs this week, as many students return to their campuses to begin the 2025-2026 school year.
While these programs offer more students free tuition, they do have limits. For example, Princeton said that “most families with incomes up to $150,000 a year will now pay nothing for their student to attend.”
Student loan debt has become a major talking point in recent years as it has grown to become a $1.7 trillion crisis in the U.S. There have been efforts to relieve the debt, but college students often still struggle financially, both during their college days and after. Avoiding tuition payments could pave the way towards a better financial future for today’s college students.
Here’s a list of well-regarded colleges and universities in the U.S. that have recently expanded their free tuition options:
Princeton University in Princeton, N.J.
Most families with incomes up to $150,000 a year will now pay nothing including tuition, housing, food, books and personal expenses. Additionally, most undergraduate families with incomes up to $250,000 will pay no tuition and many families living in the U.S. with incomes up to and even beyond $350,000 will receive grant aid.
Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.
Audacy reported earlier this year that students from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or less will have all billed expenses – including tuition, food, housing, health insurance, and travel costs – covered and two $2,000 start-up grants per student. Students from families with incomes of $200,000 or less will receive free tuition and additional financial aid to cover billed expenses, depending on their financial circumstances, with students from families making more also eligible for some aid.
David Geffen School of Drama at Yale in New Haven, Conn.
Back in 2021, Audacy reported on a $150 million gift from entertainment mogul David Geffen to Yale University’s drama school and the announcement that the school was going tuition-free.
“Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, and in perpetuity, all students enrolled full-time in degree and certificate programs, including MFA and Certificate in Drama students, Technical Interns, and DFA candidates, will receive 100% tuition remission,” said the school.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn.
This school year, Carnegie Mellon University debuted its “CMU Pathways” program. This program makes tuition free for students whose families earn $75,000 or less and students from families who earn $100,000 or less annually can attend CMU without utilizing any federal student loans.
“This means that 100% of their demonstrated financial need will be met with financial aid offers that do not include loans,” the university said.
Brandeis in Waltham, Mass.
Also starting up this year is “The Brandeis Commitment” program. It provides free tuition for students from families making up to $75,000 and half tuition for families making from $75,001 to $200,000.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
Last year, MIT announced an expansion of its tuition coverage program that kicked in this fall. With the expansion, undergraduates with family income below $200,000 can attend the school tuition-free. It noted that 80% of households in the U.S. meet that threshold.
“And for the 50 percent of American families with income below $100,000, parents can expect to pay nothing at all toward the full cost of their students’ MIT education, which includes tuition as well as housing, dining, fees, and an allowance for books and personal expenses,” said the school.
Previously, those thresholds were at $140,000 and $75,000.
The University of Texas System
Students from families who have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less are provided with tuition-free education at all of the nine institutions in the University of Texas system beginning this fall, its board announced last year.
“After the full Board’s consideration and vote tomorrow, the plan will include a new, immediate infusion of $35 million directly to the campuses to make the UT System the first in Texas, and one of the few in the U.S., to offer such a sweeping financial aid benefit,” said a November 2024 press release from the university system.