Colleges That Offer The Best Financial Aid Packages

Colleges are known for their academics, but they don’t get the credit they deserve for their financial aid programs. Some colleges offer better financial aid packages than others, and it can make a huge difference in your ability to afford school. Using data from Payscale and its College Salary Report, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 schools that give out the best financial aid packages.

Davidson College

Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, with a strong reputation for academic excellence. According to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings of best colleges in America, Davidson College ranked #23 among all national liberal arts colleges and #6 among top regional colleges in the South.

Davidson College was founded by an evangelical Presbyterian minister named Thomas Davidson in 1837 as “the first school South of Baltimore” to admit students regardless of race or gender after having been denied admission from Harvard University due to his “mixed blood,” which was considered too low class for admission at the time (1). It is now one of the nation’s most selective schools and has repeatedly been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Colleges.

Amherst College

Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. In 1821 it was started as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore.

Swarthmore College

• Swarthmore College is a highly selective private liberal arts college located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
• It is a member of the Tri-College Consortium, which allows students to register for classes at Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College.

Pomona College

Pomona College is a private liberal arts college located in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 and situated on a picturesque campus, Pomona College is part of the Claremont Colleges consortium and offers students more than 30 interdisciplinary programs. In addition to its excellent academics, Pomona College also has one of the most generous financial aid packages among top colleges.

Students who are admitted to Pomona College will have access to several merit-based awards that can help cover tuition fees as well as room and board costs during their time at this top college. The majority of applicants receive some form of financial assistance from this school due to its generous scholarship programs; however, if you’re not eligible for a merit-based award or need additional funding in order to attend then you may benefit from one of their loan options since they offer both Federal Direct Loans as well as private loans through Sallie Mae which will ensure that you don’t go into student debt just because your family isn’t able afford your tuition without taking out student loans themselves!

Williams College

You might already know that Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. What you probably didn’t know is that it was founded in 1793, and has an endowment of $1.9 billion as of 2019. It’s also one of the oldest continuously operating colleges in the United States, boasting a remarkable alumni list that includes three Nobel Prize winners and four Pulitzer Prize winners.

Williams College is a member of the Five Colleges consortium (the others are Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and University of Massachusetts at Amherst). The Five Colleges is an association between five colleges located near each other throughout western Massachusetts: Amherst College; Hampshire College; Mount Holyoke College; Smith College; and University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey. It was established in 1746, and it’s the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States—and among its alumni are several U.S presidents. The school has an endowment valued at $22 billion, which is the largest of any university in the world.

Princeton offers two types of financial aid packages: need-based aid and merit-based scholarships.

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and one of its leading academic institutions. The school’s history includes being the first to grant degrees to women and African-Americans, as well as its prestigious teaching and research programs.

Harvard was founded by Puritans who believed that church attendance should be mandatory for all Christians. They were also strong believers in education, which they felt would help them live out their faith through their daily lives. In 1636, this group of religious dissenters established a school for training ministers near Boston; it was named after John Harvard (1607-1638), a wealthy merchant who bequeathed money for its founding but died before he could attend classes there himself

Yale University

If you are looking for a generous financial aid program, Yale University is the place to be. Yale has a need-blind admission policy, and they don’t require students to take out loans. The school also offers good financial aid packages that meet the needs of their students.

Students who want to go to Yale can apply for scholarships, grants or other awards through their applications; however, some students may also need additional funding in order to attend school there. If this sounds like your situation, then here are some tips on how best to approach your college search at Yale:

• Apply Early: As soon as possible after January 1st! Students should ensure that they have all necessary documents together before applying since most colleges will not consider incomplete applications when deciding whether or not someone qualifies for admission into their university

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has a strong focus on engineering and science, but also offers a variety of programs in the arts and humanities.

MIT’s student body includes around 11,000 graduate students and over 6,000 undergraduates. MIT has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s best universities by multiple publications like Times Higher Education World University Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities.

MIT has a strong focus on engineering – its undergraduate program is highly selective and only admits students who have completed three years of college-level math or equivalent coursework in another field such as physics or chemistry. If you are interested in studying at MIT but do not want to pursue a career path that involves engineering or science, consider applying for their five-year Bachelor/Master program where students can major in any subject offered by MIT while taking some required courses as well; however these programs take longer than four years to complete so be sure to plan ahead!

Columbia University

Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university located in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia has a need-blind admissions policy and offers generous financial aid packages for its students.

In addition to the standard need-based grants (like federal Pell Grants) offered by the school, Columbia awards both merit-based scholarships and academic performance waivers to many students. These awards can be worth up to $60,000 annually or more depending on your situation and how much money you need from the university in order to attend it.

Although international students may not qualify for federal grants like domestic students do, there are still plenty of options available for them as well! For example: Columbia grants almost all international applicants an automatic scholarship equivalent to full tuition plus fees if they have excellent SAT scores or ACT scores (the average score is 1200 out of 1600). Moreover, international first-year students with exceptional academic performance can receive additional financial aid such as scholarships ranging from $12k-$40k per year ($40k being awarded at most).

A lot of colleges are willing to work with your financial situation and help you out.

You might think that you’re too poor to go to college, but there are many schools that offer excellent financial aid packages. Many colleges do not require students to pay the full tuition price. In some cases, students can even receive a free education if they qualify for enough grants and scholarships!

The key is finding the right school with a package that fits your needs, budget and schedule. If it doesn’t work out with one school, or if you decide on another college at any point during your time in high school or after graduating from high school, there are plenty of other colleges out there willing to help creative students make their dreams come true!

These are just a few of the colleges that offer the best financial aid packages. There are many more out there that want students from all walks of life to attend their school and get an education. If you are having trouble finding funding for college, consider looking into some schools on our list.