130 Best Colleges With No Application Fees (2025-2026)

We all know college is expensive. Being smart with your money is an important skill to learn early on, and the best way to start is by developing a college funding plan to help afford your college experience—and avoid debt.

Ready to start? Application fees are one of the very first costs you’re going to face as a college applicant. While common, these fees are not universal, and there’s little harm in applying to schools that don’t charge.

So, which colleges and universities in the US don’t charge application fees?

First off, what exactly are college application fees?

College application fees are charges that universities and colleges require when you submit your application. These fees help institutions manage the costs of processing applications, reviewing credentials, and maintaining their admission systems. 

Essentially, these fees cover the administrative costs associated with evaluating each applicant.

So, how much do these fees typically cost?

On average, college application fees range from $50 to $90. However, some prestigious universities can charge up to $100 or more per application. For example, Stanford University and Duke University both have application fees of $90. If you're applying to multiple schools, these fees can quickly add up, making fee-free applications an attractive option for budget-conscious students.

Now, the big question: Are there any US colleges that don’t charge application fees?

Yes, there are! Many colleges across the United States waive application fees to make higher education more accessible. Here’s a comprehensive list of some US colleges that don’t charge application fees or offer waivers, to get you started:

1. Agnes Scott College State: Georgia Admission Rate: 68% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,064
2. Alaska Pacific University State: Alaska Admission Rate: 91% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $20,760
3. Albion College State: Michigan Admission Rate: 74% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $52,570
4. Alice Lloyd College State: Kentucky Admission Rate: 36% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $13,520
5. Allegheny College State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 62% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $53,610
6. Aquinas College State: Michigan Admission Rate: 77% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $35,340
7. Asbury University State: Kentucky Admission Rate: 60% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $32,652
8. Auburn University at Montgomery State: Alabama Admission Rate: 93% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $19,744
9. Augsburg University State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $41,664
10. Augustana University State: South Dakota Admission Rate: 71% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $36,084
11. Avila University State: Missouri Admission Rate: 53% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $21,900
12. Baker University State: Kansas Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $30,300
13. Barton College State: North Carolina Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $31,106
14. Baylor University State: Texas Admission Rate: 68% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $50,232
15. Belmont Abbey College State: North Carolina Admission Rate: 81% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $36,660
16. Beloit College State: Wisconsin Admission Rate: 61% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $55,206
17. Berea College State: Kentucky Admission Rate: 33% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: No tuition (students work on campus to cover costs)
18. Bethany College State: West Virginia Admission Rate: 78% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $29,000
19. Bethany Lutheran College State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 77% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $28,580
20. Bethel University State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 89% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $43,134
21. Bradley University State: Illinois Admission Rate: 71% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $36,960
22. Bridgewater College State: Virginia Admission Rate: 66% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $38,920
23. Bryn Mawr College State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 38% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $55,980
24. Buena Vista University State: Iowa Admission Rate: 72% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $35,540
25. Butler University State: Indiana Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $44,460
26. Carleton College State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 17% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $60,225
27. Catawba College State: North Carolina Admission Rate: 71% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $32,000
28. Cazenovia College State: New York Admission Rate: 90% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $37,436
29. Cedar Crest College State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 71% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $43,448
30. Central College State: Iowa Admission Rate: 67% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $19,750
31. Centre College State: Kentucky Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $48,070
32. Chadron State College State: Nebraska Admission Rate: 100% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $4,900
33. Champlain College State: Vermont Admission Rate: 85% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $42,860
34. Chatham University State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $43,220
35. Clarkson University State: New York Admission Rate: 75% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $54,180
36. Coe College State: Iowa Admission Rate: 69% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $48,640
37. Coker College State: South Carolina Admission Rate: 61% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $31,380
38. Colby College State: Maine Admission Rate: 8% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $61,220
39. Colby-Sawyer College State: New Hampshire Admission Rate: 88% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $47,182
40. Colgate University State: New York Admission Rate: 22% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $61,305
41. College of Mount Saint Vincent State: New York Admission Rate: 94% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $40,980
42. College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 80% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $51,702
43. College of Saint Elizabeth State: New Jersey Admission Rate: 83% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $34,300
44. College of the Atlantic State: Maine Admission Rate: 76% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $42,694
45. College of Wooster State: Ohio Admission Rate: 57% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $54,000
46. Colorado College State: Colorado Admission Rate: 14% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $62,070
47. Colorado Mountain College State: Colorado Admission Rate: 100% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $4,920 (in-state), $10,400 (out-of-state)
48. Columbia College State: South Carolina Admission Rate: 100% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $9,600
49. Concordia College State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 65% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $42,000
50. Cornell College State: Iowa Admission Rate: 81% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $47,800
51. Creighton University State: Nebraska Admission Rate: 64% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $43,740
52. Culver-Stockton College State: Missouri Admission Rate: 60% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $29,000
53. Davis & Elkins College State: West Virginia Admission Rate: 42% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $32,970
54. Delaware Valley University State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 65% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $40,740
55. Denison University State: Ohio Admission Rate: 28% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $57,480
56. DePauw University State: Indiana Admission Rate: 64% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $54,000
57. Doane University State: Nebraska Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $37,400
58. Dominican University of California State: California Admission Rate: 85% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $49,660
59. Drake University State: Iowa Admission Rate: 67% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,912
60. Drury University State: Missouri Admission Rate: 65% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $31,100
61. Earlham College State: Indiana Admission Rate: 65% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $48,170
62. Eastern New Mexico University State: New Mexico Admission Rate: 60% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $8,125
63. Elizabethtown College State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 75% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $34,000
64. Elmhurst College State: Illinois Admission Rate: 68% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $37,600
65. Emmanuel College State: Massachusetts Admission Rate: 72% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $43,152
66. Emory & Henry College State: Virginia Admission Rate: 80% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $34,000
67. Eureka College State: Illinois Admission Rate: 69% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $28,000
68. Ferris State University State: Michigan Admission Rate: 87% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $13,100
69. Finlandia University State: Michigan Admission Rate: 61% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $23,390
70. Franciscan University of Steubenville State: Ohio Admission Rate: 74% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $33,440
71. Franklin College State: Indiana Admission Rate: 95% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $33,405
72. Freed-Hardeman University State: Tennessee Admission Rate: 92% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $32,250
73. Gannon University State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $43,000
74. Grace College and Seminary State: Indiana Admission Rate: 83% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $28,160
75. Graceland University State: Iowa Admission Rate: 59% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $30,260
76. Greenville University State: Illinois Admission Rate: 63% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $26,000
77. Grinnell College State: Iowa Admission Rate: 19% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $58,648
78. Guilford College State: North Carolina Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $40,000
79. Gustavus Adolphus College State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 67% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $50,010
80. Gwynedd Mercy University State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 66% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $46,000
81. Hamline University State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 67% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $50,000
82. Hampden-Sydney College State: Virginia Admission Rate: 58% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $47,000
83. Hampshire College State: Massachusetts Admission Rate: 63% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $52,068
84. Hanover College State: Indiana Admission Rate: 74% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $46,000
85. Hartwick College State: New York Admission Rate: 76% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $20,000
86. Hastings College State: Nebraska Admission Rate: 64% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $12,800
87. Henderson State University State: Arkansas Admission Rate: 80% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $25,000
88. Hendrix College State: Arkansas Admission Rate: 80% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $51,000
89. Hillsdale College State: Michigan Admission Rate: 36% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $50,000
90. Hiram College State: Ohio Admission Rate: 58% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $38,000
91. Hobart and William Smith Colleges State: New York Admission Rate: 65% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $47,000
92. Hollins University State: Virginia Admission Rate: 71% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $47,000
93. Holy Cross College State: Indiana Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $30,000
94. Holy Names University State: California Admission Rate: 90% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $40,000
95. Hood College State: Maryland Admission Rate: 71% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $43,000
96. Houston Baptist University State: Texas Admission Rate: 36% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $35,000
97. Howard Payne University State: Texas Admission Rate: 59% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $40,000
98. Illinois College State: Illinois Admission Rate: 61% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $46,000
99. Illinois Institute of Technology State: Illinois Admission Rate: 60% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
100. Illinois Wesleyan University State: Illinois Admission Rate: 61% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
101. Immaculata University State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 100% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $8,000
102. Indian River State College State: Florida Admission Rate: 67% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $40,000
103. Indiana Wesleyan University State: Indiana Admission Rate: 71% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $32,000
104. Iowa Wesleyan University State: Iowa Admission Rate: 70% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $32,000
105. John Carroll University State: Ohio Admission Rate: 75% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $44,000
106. Juniata College State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 74% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $47,500
107. Kalamazoo College State: Michigan Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $54,372
108. Kenyon College State: Ohio Admission Rate: 36% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $66,240
109. Kettering University State: Michigan Admission Rate: 65% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
110. Keuka College State: New York Admission Rate: 66% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
111. King’s College State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 70% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
112. La Roche College State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 78% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
113. La Salle University State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 83% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
114. Lake Erie College State: Ohio Admission Rate: 91% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
115. Lakeland University State: Wisconsin Admission Rate: 58% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
116. Lane College State: Tennessee Admission Rate: 81% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
117. Lasell University State: Massachusetts Admission Rate: 73% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
118. Lawrence University State: Wisconsin Admission Rate: 62% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $55,206
119. Lebanon Valley College State: Pennsylvania Admission Rate: 70: Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $45,000
120. Lewis & Clark College State: Oregon Admission Rate: 72% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $57,404
121. Linfield University State: Oregon Admission Rate: 82% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $46,900
122. Loyola University Chicago State: Illinois Admission Rate: 67% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $49,498
123. Macalester College State: Minnesota Admission Rate: 39% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $60,225
124. Maryville University State: Missouri Admission Rate: 91% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $27,958
125. Smith College State: Massachusetts Admission Rate: 32% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $58,768
126. St. John’s University State: New York Admission Rate: 72% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $46,230
127. Trinity University State: Texas Admission Rate: 29% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $47,392
128. Tulane University State: Louisiana Admission Rate: 13% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $60,814
129. University of Dayton State: Ohio Admission Rate: 72% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $44,890
130. University of South Florida State: Florida Admission Rate: 49% Essay Requirement: Optional Tuition: $17,324 (in-state), $32,324 (out-of-state)
131. Wellesley College State: Massachusetts Admission Rate: 21% Essay Requirement: Required Tuition: $58,448

This list is not exhaustive, and more colleges may change their application fees in the future. Be sure to research and verify the application policies of each college you're interested in.

Worried about these costs? Let’s talk about fee waivers.

Fee waivers are available for students who demonstrate financial need. They can significantly reduce the burden of application costs. To qualify, you typically need to meet certain criteria, such as:

• Being enrolled in or eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
• Living in a foster home, homeless shelter, or being a ward of the state
• Receiving public assistance
• Participating in an Upward Bound program
• Meeting the income eligibility guidelines set by the College Board or ACT

You can request fee waivers through your high school counselor or directly from the colleges to which you are applying. The College Board organization, which administers the SAT and the ACT, offers fee waiver programs for both exams. 

This video offers a fun introduction to fee waivers:

Additionally, many colleges and universities have their own fee waiver policies, so it's worth checking with each institution.

The cost of a degree comprises many different educational fees along the way. Being intelligent and strategic about your spending is the smart way to go. Choosing to apply to colleges without application fees can help you overcome one of the very first obstacles to your college dreams. Every little bit counts.

Ready for more tips? Empowerly has helped our students land over $21.5 million in scholarships over four years, in the 2024 graduating class alone. If you would like to talk to an expert and take advantage of all the resources available to you, consider working with a college counselor. Student wellness is our goal, and that encompasses financial well-being. Let’s make a plan to set your child up for success.