At many top colleges, the sticker price doesn't tell the whole story. After grants and scholarships are awarded, some of the best schools in the country become much more affordable — even, in many cases, a great deal.
To determine how much it actually costs to attend the top rated colleges in the U.S. per year, CNBC Make It looked at each institution's average net price (ANP) using data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. The ANP refers to the total annual cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, books, supplies and living expenses, minus the average amount of financial aid from grants or scholarships.
After factoring in financial aid, the cost of top tier, expensive, private schools drops significantly. Although Princeton University's full tuition runs over $43,000 per year, for example, students end up paying an average of less than $9,000.
Here's a realistic picture of how much it costs to attend the schools U.S. News calls the best universities in America, counting down to No. 1. For comparison's sake, the full price is included as recorded on College Scorecard.
Vanderbilt University
Average net price: $18,144
Full-priced tuition and fees: $44,712
Median salary 10 years since entry: $64,500
Rice University
Average net price: $21,024
Full-priced tuition and fees: $42,253
Median salary 10 years since entry: $64,300
Cornell University
Average net price: $29,711
Full-priced tuition and fees: $49,116
Median salary 10 years since entry: $73,600
Brown University
Average net price: $27,496
Full-priced tuition and fees: $49,346
Median salary 10 years since entry: $63,100
Northwestern University
Average net price: $28,155
Full-priced tuition and fees: $49,047
Median salary 10 years since entry: $65,900
Johns Hopkins University
Average net price: $34,455
Full-priced tuition and fees: $48,710
Median salary 10 years since entry: $69,800
Dartmouth College
Average net price: $29,986
Full-priced tuition and fees: $49,506
Median salary 10 years since entry: $70,000
California Institute of Technology
Average net price: $24,760
Full-priced tuition and fees: $45,390
Median salary 10 years since entry: $74,200
Duke University
Average net price: $34,137
Full-priced tuition and fees: $49,241
Median salary 10 years since entry: $77,900
University of Pennsylvania
Average net price: $25,225
Full-priced tuition and fees: $49,536
Median salary 10 years since entry: $82,400
Stanford University
Average net price: $13,857
Full-priced tuition and fees: $46,320
Median salary 10 years since entry: $85,700
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Average net price: $22,968
Full-priced tuition and fees: $46,704
Median salary 10 years since entry: $94,200
Columbia University
Average net price: $21,031
Full-priced tuition and fees: $53,00
Median salary 10 years since entry: $78,200
Yale University
Average net price: $20,910
Full-priced tuition and fees: $47,600
Median salary 10 years since entry: $83,200
University of Chicago
Average net price: $25,883
Full-priced tuition and fees: $51,351
Median salary 10 years since entry: $65,500
Harvard University
Average net price: $17,882
Full-priced tuition and fees: $45,278
Median salary 10 years since entry: $90,900
Princeton University
Average net price: $8,848
Full-priced tuition and fees: $43,450
Median salary 10 years since entry: $80,500
Don't miss: Here's how much grads earn 10 years after attending the top business schools in America
Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook!
