A B.A. from Columbia could cost $500,000: Here are the top 10 most expensive places in the U.S. to go college

Getting your bachelors degree can be a lucrative endeavor, but often it doesn't come cheap.

The total annual cost for tuition and mandatory fees at 4-year U.S. colleges and universities has more than tripled in the last 60 years, from an average $5,369 per year in 1963 (inflation-adjusted) to $17,709 in 2023, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

And tuition isn't the only cost. Students need books and supplies like computers, as well as food and housing.

Over four years, the total bill may be $500,000 or more, as it is estimated to be at Columbia University, according to Self Financial. 

A large portion of that total comes from the cost of attendance itself, which Columbia lists at $89,587 for tuition, housing and other fees for the 2023-24 school year.

While Columbia's sticker price includes on-campus housing and a meal plan, students who choose to live off-campus, or simply participate in life in the notoriously expensive city, can easily rack up extra expenses.

Self Financial looked at all the colleges and universities listed in the U.S. News & World Report's national college rankings to determine the costliest schools at which to earn your bachelor's.

The fintech firm factored in tuition and fees for each school along with cost of living data like average food spending from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and average local rent and other self-reported living expenses data collected by Numbeo. 

These are the 10 schools with the highest total cost for four years.

Total cost: $514,442

Total cost: $497,402

Total cost: $472,817

Total cost: $472,027

Total cost: $458,330

Total cost: $457,650

Total cost: $455,257

Total cost: $454,377

Total cost: $451,516

Total cost: $441,948

All of the 10 most expensive schools Self