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Colleges that meet 100% of financial need

Updated Each college's own Common Data Set, item H2

The short answer

61 colleges report meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for first-year students in their most recent Common Data Set (2025-26 for 57 colleges and 2024-25 for 4 colleges). The most first-years with their full need met were at Cornell (1,744), NYU (1,493) and UVA (1,352).

Demonstrated need is the gap between what a college costs for a year and what it expects your family to pay. The college works out that family share from the FAFSA and, at many private colleges, the CSS Profile. A college that meets 100% of need gives every student with need enough aid to cover the gap. The percent on each row is the college's own reported average for first-year students who got need-based aid, from item H2 of its Common Data Set. Meeting need can include loans and work: the Common Data Set counts work-study and need-based loans, such as subsidized federal loans, as aid that meets need, though not parent PLUS loans, unsubsidized loans or private loans. Each college sets the family share its own way, so two full-need colleges can offer the same family different amounts. Run each college's net price calculator to see your own number.

The list (61)

Four-year colleges with 500 or more undergraduates whose Common Data Set reports, in item H2, an average of 100% of need met (rounded to the whole percent) for first-time, full-time first-year students who got need-based aid, the most first-years with need fully met first. We read item H2 for 198 colleges of that size. A college whose table we couldn't read, or whose counts don't add up (for example more students with need fully met than students awarded aid), isn't on the list. 4 colleges' own counts disagree: they report 100% on average, but fewer than 9 in 10 of their aided first-years had need fully met. We show both numbers on those rows. Colleges reporting 90% to 99% are listed below the main list.

  1. Cornell University 100% of need met Ithaca, NY · 1,744 first-years with financial need · 1,744 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  2. New York University 100% of need met New York, NY · 1,501 first-years with financial need · 1,493 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  3. University of Virginia 100% of need met Charlottesville, VA · 1,352 first-years with financial need · 1,352 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2024-25
  4. Northeastern University 100% of need met Boston, MA · 1,344 first-years with financial need · 1,344 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  5. University of Notre Dame 100% of need met Notre Dame, IN · 1,142 first-years with financial need · 1,142 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  6. University of Pennsylvania 100% of need met Philadelphia, PA · 1,116 first-years with financial need · 1,116 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  7. Princeton University 100% of need met Princeton, NJ · 991 first-years with financial need · 991 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  8. Boston College 100% of need met Chestnut Hill, MA · 921 first-years with financial need · 921 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2024-25
  9. Yale University 100% of need met New Haven, CT · 885 first-years with financial need · 885 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  10. Northwestern University 100% of need met Evanston, IL · 868 first-years with financial need · 868 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  11. Columbia University in the City of New York 100% of need met New York, NY · 855 first-years with financial need · 855 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  12. Washington University in St Louis 100% of need met St. Louis, MO · 843 first-years with financial need · 843 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  13. Brown University 100% of need met Providence, RI · 829 first-years with financial need · 829 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2024-25
  14. Vanderbilt University 100% of need met Nashville, TN · 808 first-years with financial need · 808 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  15. Case Western Reserve University 100% of need met Cleveland, OH · 963 first-years with financial need · Reports 100% on average, but 788 of 963 aided first-years had need fully met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  16. Carnegie Mellon University 100% of need met Pittsburgh, PA · 803 first-years with financial need · 779 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  17. Stanford University 100% of need met Stanford, CA · 761 first-years with financial need · 744 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  18. Johns Hopkins University 100% of need met Baltimore, MD · 737 first-years with financial need · 726 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  19. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 100% of need met Cambridge, MA · 700 first-years with financial need · 700 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  20. Duke University 100% of need met Durham, NC · 726 first-years with financial need · 687 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  21. University of Chicago 100% of need met Chicago, IL · 652 first-years with financial need · 652 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  22. St Olaf College 100% of need met Northfield, MN · 622 first-years with financial need · 622 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  23. Dartmouth College 100% of need met Hanover, NH · 596 first-years with financial need · 596 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  24. Rice University 100% of need met Houston, TX · 571 first-years with financial need · 568 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  25. Georgetown University 100% of need met Washington, DC · 516 first-years with financial need · 516 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  26. Emory University 100% of need met Atlanta, GA · 474 first-years with financial need · 474 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  27. Oberlin College 100% of need met Oberlin, OH · 468 first-years with financial need · 468 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  28. Skidmore College 100% of need met Saratoga Springs, NY · 443 first-years with financial need · 443 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  29. Smith College 100% of need met Northampton, MA · 426 first-years with financial need · 426 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  30. Denison University 100% of need met Granville, OH · 375 first-years with financial need · 375 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  31. Vassar College 100% of need met Poughkeepsie, NY · 370 first-years with financial need · 370 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  32. Mount Holyoke College 100% of need met South Hadley, MA · 359 first-years with financial need · 359 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  33. Williams College 100% of need met Williamstown, MA · 332 first-years with financial need · 332 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  34. Trinity College 100% of need met Hartford, CT · 328 first-years with financial need · 327 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  35. Lafayette College 100% of need met Easton, PA · 314 first-years with financial need · 314 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  36. Wake Forest University 100% of need met Winston-Salem, NC · 320 first-years with financial need · 303 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  37. Davidson College 100% of need met Davidson, NC · 301 first-years with financial need · 301 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  38. Grinnell College 100% of need met Grinnell, IA · 298 first-years with financial need · 298 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2024-25
  39. University of Richmond 100% of need met University of Richmond, VA · 315 first-years with financial need · 297 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  40. Franklin and Marshall College 100% of need met Lancaster, PA · 297 first-years with financial need · 297 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  41. Carleton College 100% of need met Northfield, MN · 293 first-years with financial need · 293 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  42. Washington and Lee University 100% of need met Lexington, VA · 291 first-years with financial need · 291 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  43. Connecticut College 100% of need met New London, CT · 290 first-years with financial need · 290 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  44. Hamilton College 100% of need met Clinton, NY · 278 first-years with financial need · 278 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  45. Amherst College 100% of need met Amherst, MA · 278 first-years with financial need · 278 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  46. Bowdoin College 100% of need met Brunswick, ME · 268 first-years with financial need · 268 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  47. Middlebury College 100% of need met Middlebury, VT · 263 first-years with financial need · 262 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  48. Colorado College 100% of need met Colorado Springs, CO · 248 first-years with financial need · 246 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  49. Kenyon College 100% of need met Gambier, OH · 242 first-years with financial need · 242 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  50. Swarthmore College 100% of need met Swarthmore, PA · 240 first-years with financial need · 240 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  51. Colgate University 100% of need met Hamilton, NY · 288 first-years with financial need · Reports 100% on average, but 234 of 288 aided first-years had need fully met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  52. Bates College 100% of need met Lewiston, ME · 220 first-years with financial need · 220 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  53. Reed College 100% of need met Portland, OR · 220 first-years with financial need · 220 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  54. Wellesley College 100% of need met Wellesley, MA · 320 first-years with financial need · Reports 100% on average, but 215 of 319 aided first-years had need fully met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  55. Haverford College 100% of need met Haverford, PA · 199 first-years with financial need · 194 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  56. Claremont McKenna College 100% of need met Claremont, CA · 130 first-years with financial need · 130 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  57. Scripps College 100% of need met Claremont, CA · 130 first-years with financial need · 130 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  58. California Institute of Technology 100% of need met Pasadena, CA · 104 first-years with financial need · 104 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  59. Harvey Mudd College 100% of need met Claremont, CA · 103 first-years with financial need · 103 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  60. Barnard College 100% of need met New York, NY · 281 first-years with financial need · Reports 100% on average, but 101 of 262 aided first-years had need fully met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  61. Pitzer College 100% of need met Claremont, CA · 100 first-years with financial need · 98 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26

Colleges that report 90% to 99% of need met (28)

28 colleges of the same size report meeting 90% to 99% of first-year need on average, highest first. They are not on the list above.

  1. University of Southern California 99% of need met Los Angeles, CA · 1,501 first-years with financial need · 1,368 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  2. Dickinson College 99% of need met Carlisle, PA · 311 first-years with financial need · 276 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  3. Centre College 99% of need met Danville, KY · 245 first-years with financial need · 219 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  4. Trinity University 98% of need met San Antonio, TX · 262 first-years with financial need · 262 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  5. University of Florida 98% of need met Gainesville, FL · 2,556 first-years with financial need · 1,524 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  6. Boston University 98% of need met Boston, MA · 1,344 first-years with financial need · 710 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  7. Brandeis University 97% of need met Waltham, MA · 387 first-years with financial need · 268 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  8. Whitman College 97% of need met Walla Walla, WA · 270 first-years with financial need · 125 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  9. University of Rochester 97% of need met Rochester, NY · 750 first-years with financial need · 688 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  10. Lehigh University 97% of need met Bethlehem, PA · 687 first-years with financial need · 431 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  11. Syracuse University 96% of need met Syracuse, NY · 1,745 first-years with financial need · 1,048 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  12. The College of Wooster 96% of need met Wooster, OH · 251 first-years with financial need · 194 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  13. Clark University 95% of need met Worcester, MA · 326 first-years with financial need · 169 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2024-25
  14. George Washington University 95% of need met Washington, DC · 1,237 first-years with financial need · 1,141 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  15. Tulane University 94% of need met New Orleans, LA · 667 first-years with financial need · 485 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  16. Lawrence University 94% of need met Appleton, WI · 239 first-years with financial need · 132 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2024-25
  17. Bucknell University 93% of need met Lewisburg, PA · 450 first-years with financial need · 129 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  18. Providence College 93% of need met Providence, RI · 579 first-years with financial need · 243 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2024-25
  19. Southwestern University 93% of need met Georgetown, TX · 238 first-years with financial need · 76 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  20. Bennington College 93% of need met Bennington, VT · 124 first-years with financial need · 16 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  21. Lewis & Clark College 92% of need met Portland, OR · 374 first-years with financial need · 161 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  22. Lake Forest College 92% of need met Lake Forest, IL · 327 first-years with financial need · 145 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  23. DePauw University 91% of need met Greencastle, IN · 261 first-years with financial need · 103 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  24. University of Wisconsin–Madison 91% of need met Madison, WI · 3,379 first-years with financial need · 2,600 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  25. University of Michigan 91% of need met Ann Arbor, MI · 2,699 first-years with financial need · 1,820 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  26. University of California, Los Angeles 91% of need met Los Angeles, CA · 2,684 first-years with financial need · 724 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  27. St Lawrence University 91% of need met Canton, NY · 254 first-years with financial need · 61 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
  28. Gettysburg College 90% of need met Gettysburg, PA · 306 first-years with financial need · 120 with all of it met Source: Common Data Set, 2025-26
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What colleges meet 100% of financial need?

61 colleges report meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for first-year students in their most recent Common Data Set (2025-26 for 57 colleges and 2024-25 for 4 colleges). The most first-years with their full need met were at Cornell (1,744), NYU (1,493) and UVA (1,352).

What does meeting 100% of demonstrated need mean?

The college gives each admitted student with financial need enough aid to cover the gap between its cost and what it expects the family to pay. The college decides that family share from the FAFSA and often the CSS Profile, so the same family can get different offers from two colleges that both meet full need.

Does meeting full need mean college is free?

No. Your family still pays the share the college expects, and part of the aid can be a work-study job or a need-based student loan, because the Common Data Set counts both as aid that meets need.

Did every first-year with need get it fully met?

At 46 of the 61 colleges listed, the number of first-years with their need fully met equals the number awarded aid. The other 15 report some students with less than full need met, while their average still rounds to 100%.

Which colleges come close to meeting full need?

28 more colleges report meeting 90% to 99% of need on average, led by USC (99%), Dickinson College (99%) and Centre College (99%).

Numbers change each year when colleges and the Department of Education publish new data. Confirm costs and admission rules with the college before you apply.

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