These Colleges Offer Free Tuition to Students

Looking for a free college education? Check out BestColleges’ list of colleges and universities offering free undergraduate and graduate degrees for qualifying students.
Evan Castillo
Updated on February 2, 2026
Featured ImageCredit: JulPo / Getty Images

Disclosure: This page contains advertisements from our partner school network that are not related to free tuition.


  • The free college movement has stalled in Congress, but there are an increasing number of states and schools offering tuition-free degrees to qualifying students.
  • Princeton University offers free education for students from families making under $150,000 a year.
  • Some colleges offer scholarships for eligible Native American students regardless of financial need.
  • The University of Rochester School of Nursing, the University of Olivet, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine offer free tuition for all students.

Higher education is getting more and more expensive, but students looking for free college have an increasing number of options as more colleges, universities, nursing, and medical schools step up to take finances out of the question for college attendance.

BestColleges found tuition-free bachelor’s degrees available at institutions in over 30 states, as some colleges and universities — even Ivy League schools — are offering free tuition to qualifying students.

Most of the colleges listed are bridging the financial gap by removing tuition and fee costs for students from lower-income families, Native American students, or students pursuing degrees in fields with a labor shortage.

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To start 2026, Yale University announced an expansion to its undergraduate financial aid program covering tuition for families making under $200,000 and covering all costs for students from families making under $100,000.

“With this announcement, we reiterate and reinforce Yale’s commitment to ensuring that cost will never be a barrier between promising students and a Yale College education,” said Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid.

In most cases, students need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for free tuition and fees and, in some cases, the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile.

Students who may be undocumented, qualify under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), or qualify under the DREAM Act may not be eligible for the FAFSA. Instead, some states offer state financial aid applications to help these students with college financial aid.

Here are some of the schools working to make college free for qualified students.

Colleges and Universities Offering Tuition-Free Degrees

Last Updated: Feb. 02, 2025 at 3:34 P.M. EST

Colleges and Universities Offering Free Tuition or Free Education

Universities Offering Free Tuition for Native American Students

Colleges and Universities Offering Free Tuition for Undocumented Students

Nursing Schools Offering Free Tuition

Mercy College of Ohio, Ohio

  • Who qualifies:
    Students who commit to working for Mercy Health while still in school part or full time
  • Need to know:
    The Mercy Health Tuition Assistance program covers tuition for eligible students who commit to working at Mercy Health for 18 months. The college also offers other health-related degrees and certificates eligible for the program.

University of Rochester School of Nursing, New York

  • Who qualifies:
    Bachelor’s degree-holders
  • Need to know:
    The UR Nursing Scholars Program is a 12-month accelerated tuition-free nursing program for students who already have a bachelor’s degree and commit to working at a local hospital for at least three years after earning their bachelor of science in nursing.

    The program is six months faster than typical accelerated programs and guarantees employment after graduation.

University of Akron, Ohio

  • Who qualifies:
    All incoming associate of applied science in nursing (ADN) program students
  • Need to know:
    The university will cover all tuition and fees and provide funds for uniforms, books, and other supplies for students in the ADN program. Students must apply through both the Career Launch Program and the University of Akron to be eligible.

    Students must commit to working for Akron Children’s Hospital after graduation.

Medical Schools Offering Free Tuition or Education

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York

  • Who qualifies:
    All accepted students
  • Need to know:
    As of August 2024, no students will pay tuition at the medical school. The college will reimburse all fourth-year students’ spring 2024 tuition.

New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York

  • Who qualifies:
    All accepted students
  • Need to know:
    Every student accepted into the school automatically receives a full-tuition scholarship. The university also offers debt-free scholarships for financially qualifying students after submitting the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

Uniformed Services University F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Maryland

  • Who qualifies:
    Medical degree-seeking students with an interest in active military duty
  • Need to know:
    The university’s School of Medicine allows students to be paid while earning a free medical degree as long as the student commits to seven years of active military duty. Time spent earning the degree, including residency, does not count toward the military requirement.

    Grads on active duty for more than seven years but less than 10 are placed on reserve duty for a time.

    Prospective students must meet physical and academic requirements to enroll.

Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, California

  • Who qualifies:
    Students who enroll by fall 2026
  • Need to know:
    The new school of medicine is offering four-year free tuition and fee waivers to all incoming classes through fall 2026.

Colleges and Universities Offering Free Tuition for Senior Citizen Learners

BestColleges found 20 schools that offer free tuition or the ability to audit classes for no credit for senior citizens. Some schools like Pennsylvania State University, Ohio State University, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offer free-tuition classes to senior citizens depending on class space availability.