Separate from our overall rankings, the U.S. News Short List is a regular series that emphasizes certain data points to assist students and parents in determining which undergraduate and graduate programmes thrive or have room for improvement in specific areas. At these 10 schools in New York, Massachusetts and California, students pay an average of $15,966, U.S. News data show.
Colleges With the Most Expensive Room and Board 2021
When it comes to paying for college, students and their parents need to consider factors more than tuition and fees, as room and board can be costly in and of itself. According to data submitted by 987 ranked universities in an annual poll by U.S. News, college students were charged an average of $10,389 for room and board during the 2015-2016 school year.
Room and board in this example refer to a shared room with either 19 weekly meals or the maximum meal plan. In New York City’s Greenwich Village, the New School charged the most for room and board accommodations, $17,235 in 2015-2016.
Most of the colleges with the costliest room and board were based in New York or Boston. However, three of the – University of California—Berkeley, San Diego State University and American Jewish University – were in California.
In-state students at two schools on the list – San Diego State University and CUNY—College of Staten Island – actually paid more for room and board than they did for tuition. At San Diego State, which charged $15,826 for room and board, in-state tuition was $6,976. Room and board also cost more at CUNY—College of Staten Island, which charged $16,832, compared with in-state tuition priced at $6,809.
Many schools that charged the least for room and board in 2015-2016 were located mainly in states with a lower cost of living than major cities such as Mississippi, Alabama, North Dakota and Tennessee.
Below is a list of the 10 schools with the most expensive room and board for 2015-2016. The five military academies, which charge no room and board fees, were excluded from this list. In addition, unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.
Colleges With the Most Expensive Room and Board 2021
| SCHOOL ( STATE) | ROOM AND BOARD |
|---|---|
| New School (NY) | $17,235 |
| CUNY—College of Staten Island | $16,832 |
| St. John's University (NY) | $16,390 |
| San Diego State University | $15,826 |
| American Jewish University (CA) | $15,706 |
| Emerson College (MA) | $15,700 |
| Southern Methodist University (TX) | $15,575 |
| Marymount Manhattan College (NY) | $15,500 |
| Smith College (MA) | $15,470 |
| University of California—Berkeley | $15,422 |
*RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
Don’t see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find room and board data, complete rankings and much more. In addition, school officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
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