One of the most overwhelming aspects of a college education is the price to study. The burden of debt weighs heavily on students. Some colleges now offer their education completely free, however, in order to provide an education for students who may not be able to fund the expense, so we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best free colleges in the nation. Some of them may offer online courses, so if you’re looking for the best free college tuition, you should be able to find them at the best free online colleges that we have listed.
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Lloyd College | Pippa Passes, Kentucky |
| 2 | College of the Ozarks | Point Lookout, Missouri |
| 3 | Webb Institute | Glen Cove, New York |
| 4 | Barclay College | Haviland, Kansas |
| 5 | Curtis Institute of Music | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Here are the 10 best colleges with free tuition
Alice Lloyd College
Location: Pippa Passes, KY
Tuition Deal: For students living in the 108-county Central Appalachian service area, Alice Lloyd College tuition is completely free.
Programs: Programs are offered in both Bachelor of Arts and Science. Students can choose between many different teaching majors. For students who aren’t interested in teaching, there are majors in accounting, English, sociology, etc.
Other Facts: Class sizes are small with an average of 19 students per class. Athletics and intramural sports are also available for students.
College of the Ozarks
Tuition Deal: In the College of the Ozarks, tuition is entirely covered by the college for students who participate in a work program. This requires that students work a minimum of 15 hours per week and two forty-hour work weeks. With generous grants and donations, accompanied with the work program, students’ tuition is completely paid for.
Programs: If you’re looking for nursing programs with free tuition, the system the College of the Ozarks has in place makes that a reality. There are over 25 undergraduate major programs including graphic arts, theatre, nursing, criminal justice, and more. Students can also choose between 32 different minors.
Other Facts: For students who want an incredible international experience, the College of the Ozarks accepts few students each year in their Patriotic Education Travel Program. This program pairs students up with war veterans to visit the battlegrounds that different veterans fought in during WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War.
Webb Institute
Location: Glen Cove, NY
Tuition Deal: At the Webb Institute, all students receive a full-tuition scholarship that equates to around $45,000.
Programs: This private university offers one program for students: a double major in naval architecture and marine engineering.
Other Facts: The campus sits on a private beach and the main building used to be the estate of a Standard Oil founder.
Barclay College
Location: Haviland, KS
Tuition Deal: Not including room, board, and fees, the full-ride tuition scholarship at Barclay College applies to students who live on-campus.
Programs: There are 12 majors in this religious university such as Bible/theology, pastoral ministry, etc. Students can also choose between 7 different minors.
Other Facts: Originally founded by Quakers, Barclay College is a Christian school that especially prepares students for ministry.
Curtis Institute of Music
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Tuition Deal: Regardless of the student’s financial situation, Curtis Institute of Music offers a full-tuition scholarship to each undergraduate and graduate student.
Programs: A music conservatory, the Curtis Institute of Music offers programs in brass, woodwinds, composition, guitar, harp, piano, strings, conducting, percussion, and vocal studies.
Other Facts: Classes and rehearsals are held in historic mansions.
Berea College
Location: Berea, KY
Tuition Deal: Every student enjoys Berea College’s “no-tuition promise.” The generous Tuition Promise Scholarship ensures that no student pays for tuition. The scholarships come from alumni and donors.
Programs: There are just under 30 different programs of study including history, political science, Asian studies, etc.
Other Facts: Berea also offers abundant funding and scholarship for studying and interning abroad.
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Location: Kings Point, NY
Tuition Deal: Tuition is covered with the agreement of post-graduation service.
Programs: Programs at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy include marine transportation, marine engineering, marine engineering systems, shipyard management, logistics, and intermodal transportation.
Other Facts: Because the tuition is free, graduates have a service obligation to either serve five years of active duty in any of the armed forces or to serve five years in the American maritime industry with 8 years as an officer in the Reserves.
Macaulay Honors College at CUNY
Location: New York, NY
Tuition Deal: At Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, all undergraduate students receive a full-tuition scholarship, laptop computer, and cultural passports to NY arts and events.
Programs: If you’re looking for the best free college courses, the Honors College program at CUNY might be for you. During freshman and sophomore years, students take 4 interdisciplinary courses. Junior and senior years are reserved for upper-level courses. Students can choose between 475 different majors depending on which of the 8 campuses they choose to study at.
Other Facts: Each student receives $7,500 from the Opportunity Fund which is designed to fund international study programs. There are eight Macaulay campuses that students choose to study at.
U.S. Air Force Academy
Location: El Paso County, CO
Tuition Deal: Students are called cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Each cadet receives the entire Air Force academic experience for free. The education values $416,000. This scholarship includes free room and board. In return, cadets must finish their studies at the Academy and serve for 8 years in the Air Force; 5 years of their service are active duty.
Programs: Cadets can choose between 27 majors including astronautical engineering, political science, and English. For another field of study, the Air Force Academy offers 3 minors: religious studies, foreign language, and philosophy.
Other Facts: Known for its quality athletics program, the Air Force Academy has some of the best athletic facilities in the nation.
Deep Springs College
Location: Deep Springs, CA
Tuition Deal: Tuition, room, and board are completely covered by a scholarship for each student. In return, students spend 20 hours a week doing manual labor such as farm and ranch work.
Programs: Being a 2-year college, Deep Springs College only requires that its students take 9 courses. Only three courses are required: writing, public speaking, and the summer seminar. The purpose of Deep Springs is to instill the value of academics in its students, self-government and manual labor.
Other Facts: On average, there are only 26 students enrolled at Deep Springs College. Until 2013, this college was male-only.
Check out our list of Affordable Small Colleges in the United States
