How Much Does It Cost to Apply to College? (Price Guide)

Applying to college costs money before a single acceptance letter arrives. Most schools charge a fee for each application, and the fee is set by the school, not by the application platform. Students then add testing fees, score reports, and sometimes a separate financial aid form.

The total depends mostly on how many colleges you apply to and what kinds of schools they are. A student who applies to a handful of public universities pays a different bill from one who adds several highly selective private schools.

Fees vary by school type. The averages below come from BestColleges, which draws on Peterson's data for 2022-23 and was updated in November 2025.

Public four-year colleges average $48. Private four-year schools run $54 – $57, and two-year colleges run $39 – $52. Ivy-Plus universities average $80, which is the high end for most applicants.

An independent estimate from Citizens puts the average at $47 and says most colleges charge within $30 – $90.

Highly selective schools tend to charge more than the national average. These examples come from the same published list.

Harvard University lists $85, Stanford University lists $90, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology lists $75. Each school sets its own fee and can change it, so confirm the figure on the admissions page before you apply.

Many colleges now make test scores optional, but students who do test pay for the exam and for sending scores. The ACT publishes its own fee list, which is the source for the ACT rows below. The SAT figures come from a published guide.

The ACT lists $70 for the English, math, and reading test and $95 when you add writing. Extra score reports cost $20 each, according to ACT. The SAT is $68, and the international student testing fee is $111.

Fees for additional services, late registration, and changes are separate from the base test price. Check the testing agency's page for the current list before you register.

Students who use the Common App applied to an average of 6.14 colleges in 2024-25, which BestColleges translates to an average total of $295 in application fees. The Common Black College Application is a one-time $20 fee and is accepted by many historically Black colleges and universities.

Fees are not always final. Many colleges do not charge an application fee at all, and many waive it for students with financial need. The Common App describes a fee waiver for students who meet certain income or program criteria, and some colleges offer their own waiver as well. Not every college accepts the Common App waiver, so check each school's instructions.

Some states also hold free application days at public colleges. Your school counselor can tell you what is available where you live and how to request a waiver. For aid questions beyond fees, the college's financial aid office and studentaid.gov are the places to ask.

The estimates differ because guides measure different things. BestColleges reports a national average built from a large college data set. Citizens gives a typical range, which includes schools that charge nothing and schools that charge more than the average. A guide that includes graduate programs or only selective schools may report a higher number than one that looks at all undergraduate applications.