Students must weigh many considerations when compiling their list of best-fit colleges, including application fees. Many universities include a fee that prospective students must pay when submitting their applications unless the student qualifies for fee waivers.
However, there are a number of colleges without an accompanying application fee. The colleges and universities below do not charge an application fee for first-year students — though some do charge a fee for international students.
| Northeast: New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) | |
| Bennington College: Bennington, VT | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Champlain College: Burlington, VT | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Clark University: Worcester, MA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Colby College: Waterville, ME | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Colby-Sawyer College: New London, NH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Connecticut College: New London, CT | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Franklin Pierce University: Rindge, NH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Hampshire College: Amherst, MA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Johnson & Wales University-Providence: Providence, RI | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Keene State College: Keene, NH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Mount Holyoke College: South Hadley, MA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| New England Institute of Technology: East Greenwich, RI | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Plymouth State University: Plymouth, NH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Smith College: Northampton, MA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Bridgeport: Bridgeport, CT | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Maine: Orono, ME | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Wellesley College: Wellesley, MA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Worcester, MA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Northeast: Mid-Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) | |
| Allegheny College: Meadville, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Arcadia University: Glenside, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Bard College: Annandale on Hudson, NY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Bryn Mawr College: Bryn Mawr, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Chatham University: Pittsburgh, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Dickinson College: Carlisle, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Duquesne University: Pittsburgh, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Farleigh Dickinson University: Teaneck, NJ | $0 domestic students; $50 international students |
| La Salle University: Philadelphia, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Saint John’s University: Queens, NY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Sarah Lawrence College: Bronxville, NY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Seton Hill University: Greensburg, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| United States Military Academy – West Point: West Point, NY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Scranton: Scranton, PA | $0 domestic students; $50 international students |
| Ursinus College: Collegeville, PA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| South: South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) | |
| Agnes Scott College: Decatur, GA | $0 domestic students; $30 international students |
| Barry University: Miami Shores, FL | $0 domestic students; $50 international students |
| Concord University: Athens, WV | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Coppin State University: Baltimore, MD | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Carolina University: Winston-Salem, NC | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Delaware State University: Dover, DE | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Florida Institute of Technology: Melbourne, FL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Goucher College: Baltimore, MD | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Greensboro College: Greensboro, NC | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte: Charlotte, NC | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Keiser University: West Palm Beach, FL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Mary Baldwin University: Staunton, VA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Roanoke College: Salem, VA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| South Carolina State University: Orangeburg, SC | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Spartanburg Methodist College: Spartanburg, SC | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| St. John’s College: Annapolis, MD | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Sweet Briar College: Sweet Briar, VA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| The Catholic University of America: Washington, D.C. | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Charleston: Charleston, WV | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of the District of Columbia: Washington, D.C. | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Virginia Military Institute: Lexington, VA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Wesleyan College: Macon, GA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Western Carolina University: Cullowhee, NC | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| West Virginia State University: Institute, WV | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| South: East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) | |
| Asbury University: Wilmore, KY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Carson-Newman University: Jefferson, TN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Centre College: Danville, KY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Fisk University: Nashville, TN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College: Owensboro, KY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Millsaps College: Jackson, MS | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Morehead State University: Morehead, KY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Rhodes College: Memphis, TN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Sewanee – The University of the South: Sewanee, TN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Spalding University: Louisville, KY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Spring Hill College: Mobile, AL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Thomas More University: Crestview Hills, KY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Transylvania University: Lexington, KY | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| South: West South Central (AK, LA, OK, TX) | |
| Baylor University: Waco, TX | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Centenary College of Lousiana: Shreveport, LA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Hendrix College: Conway, AR | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Loyola University New Orleans: New Orleans, LA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Lyon College: Batesville, AR | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Oklahoma Baptist University: Shawnee, OK | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Oral Roberts University: Tulsa, OK | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Southwestern University: Georgetown, TX | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Texas A&M University-Commerce: Commerce, TX | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Texas Lutheran University: Seguin, TX | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Trinity University: San Antonio, TX | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Tulane University: New Orleans, LA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Texas at El Paso: El Paso, TX | $0 domestic students; $65 international students |
| Xavier University of Louisiana: New Orleans, LA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| West: Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, NM, MT, UT, NV, WY) | |
| Carroll College: Helena, MT | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| College of Idaho: Caldwell, ID | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Colorado College: Colorado Springs, CO | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver: Denver, CO | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology: Socorro, NM | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Northwest Nazarene University: Nampa, ID | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Prescott College: Prescott, AZ | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Regis University: Denver, CO | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| St. John’s College: Santa Fe, NM | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Nevada-Reno: Reno, NV | $0 domestic students; $95 international students |
| Westminster University: Salt Lake City, UT | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| West: Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) | |
| Bushnell University: Eugene, OR | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Concordia University Irvine: Irvine, CA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Fresno Pacific University: Fresno, CA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Lewis & Clark College: Portland, OR | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Menlo College: Atherton, CA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Minerva University: San Francisco, CA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Northwest University: Kirkland, WA | $0 domestic students; $30 international students |
| Pacific Lutheran University: Tacoma, WA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Pacific University: Forest Grove, OR | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Reed College: Portland, OR | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Saint Martin’s University: Lacey, WA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| San Francisco Bay University: Fremont, CA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Simpson University: Redding, CA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks: Fairbanks, AK | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Portland: Portland, OR | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Whittier College: Whittier, CA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Whitworth University: Spokane, WA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Willamette University: Salem, OR | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Midwest: East North Central (IN, IL, MI, OH, WI) | |
| Anderson University: Anderson, IN | $0 domestic students; $50 international students |
| Ashland University: Ashland, OH | $0 domestic students; $50 international students |
| American Academy of Art College: Chicago, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Beloit College: Beloit, WI | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Bradley University: Peoria, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Cleveland State University: Cleveland, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Denison University: Granville, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| DePaul University: Chicago, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| DePauw University: Greencastle, IN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Eastern Illinois University: Charleston, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Holy Cross College: Notre Dame, IN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Illinois Institute of Technology: Chicago, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Illinois Wesleyan University: Bloomington, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Indiana Wesleyan University: Marion, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| John Carroll University: University Heights, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Kalamazoo College: Kalamazoo, MI | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Kenyon College: Gambier, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Lawrence University: Appleton, WI | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Loyola University Chicago: Chicago, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Marquette University: Milwaukee, WI | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Michigan Technological University: Houghton, MI | $0 domestic students; $35 international students |
| Millikin University: Decatur, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Oberlin College (Arts and Sciences only): Oberlin, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Ohio Northern University: Ada, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Ohio Wesleyan University: Delaware, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Dayton: Dayton, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Akron: Akron, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Wheaton College: Wheaton, IL | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Xavier University: Cincinnati, OH | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Midwest: West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) | |
| Augsburg University: Minneapolis, MN | $0 domestic students; $100 international students |
| Bethel University: St. Paul, MN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Carleton College: Northfield, MN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| College of Saint Benedict: St. Joseph, MN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Creighton University: Omaha, NE | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Grinnell College: Grinnell, IA | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Macalester College: St. Paul, MN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Missouri State University: Springfield, MO | $0 domestic students; $40 international students |
| Newman University: Wichita, KS | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Park University: Parkville, MO | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Saint John’s University: Collegeville, MN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| Saint Louis University: St. Louis, MO | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| St. Olaf College: Northfield, MN | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
| University of Sioux Falls: Sioux Falls, SD | $0 domestic students; $0 international students |
Compiling a list of best-fit colleges is a comprehensive process that requires ample research and self reflection. If you are in the process of creating your list and looking for expert guidance, our team of college admissions counselors can offer personalized insight. Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your academic goals.
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