Applications to universities are no easy task. In addition to considering finances for funding university studies, prospective students also need to consider application fees. This applies to the vast majority of universities and this has become a key obstacle to numerous students in their educational careers.
Certain universities in the United States, for example, can charge over $100 per application. This imposes a heavy financial strain on countless international students who intend to apply to several universities.
However, all is not lost of course! Universities do offer a certain amount of flexibility that allows prospective students to bypass these financial obstacles. In some cases, universities offer a ‘waiver’ that enables select students to override the application fee.
But in other cases, certain universities charge no expenses for an application at all! This is typical if students submit an online application. In this article, we will provide you with information regarding several universities that cost no expenses when it comes to submitting an application.
Universities in Canada with No Application Fee
Unfortunately, the majority of universities in Canada do charge an application fee. However, there are four universities in Canada with no application fee. To check them out, visit the 4 Universities in Canada with the No Application Fee Page.
Also, the good news is that these universities are eager to grant an application fee waiver to select students, particularly if the reason is due to financial constraints. Therefore, we definitely encourage you to mail the admissions office of the particular university and confirm the details of waiving the application fee.
Universities in Australia with No Application Fees
There are a total of 5 universities that do not have an application fee for both domestic and international students, and we have also included a brief summary for each university with its corresponding link. Check out the 5 Universities in Australia with No Application Fee!
Check Also: Available Programs for International Students
Universities in Korea with No Application Fee
There are a total of 3 universities in South Korea without any application fee, but if you are not pleased with the choices, try to email the admissions office of your preferred institution for an application fee waiver. This method might work, but it might not since it doesn’t hurt to ask. Check out 3 Universities in Korea with No Application Fee!
Universities in China with No Application Fee
Similar to universities in Korea, there are 3 universities in China with no application fee. Some of these institutions that are listed offer prestigious scholarships to international applicants, so don’t forget to check the information regarding scholarships. Check out 3 Universities in China with No Application Fee!
Universities in the UK with No Application Fees
Applying to universities in the UK, unfortunately, comes with a cost, but this is substantially less than applying to universities elsewhere. Prospective students apply using the UCAS online portal which is an online application system that can be used to apply to up to 5 universities for £24 ($32).
Check Also: Available Programs for International Students
Universities in the United States with No Application Fee
Compared to the majority of other countries, the United States has several institutions that do not charge fees for application submissions. Listed below is the information of the universities that charge no expenses.
1. University of Vermont
The University of Vermont (UVM) is a public research university based in Burlington, Vermont. The university was established in 1791, making UVM one of the oldest universities in the United States.
It is considered to be a ‘public ivy’ university and offers over 200 degrees for a student enrolment of 12,000. Application is free for Early Action (before November 1st).
2. Tulane University
Tulane is a private university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is one of the most elite institutions in Louisiana and was established in 1834. Tulane is acclaimed for its diverse student population who come from different parts of the nation. The university is research-intensive and is part of the Association of American Universities.
With a student population of over 13,500, the university offers more than 300 different degrees. This is one of the best universities in the USA with no application fees.
3. Wellesley College
Wellesley College is a private liberal arts college for women that is based in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It is a member of the Seven Sisters Colleges and was founded in 1870. Wellesley has been consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the United States and offers its students a choice of over 50 majors.
Famous alumni include Hillary Rodham Clinton and Madeleine Albright.
4. Thomas Aquinas College
Thomas Aquinas is a liberal arts college based in Santa Paula, California. Established in 1971 as a Catholic-based college, the university offers a diverse academic system for its 350+ students.
That being said, Thomas Aquinas’ only degree program is the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts although this spans several disciplines ranging from natural sciences to philosophy.
5. Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University (commonly known as Case Western) is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. Established in 1967, the university is connected to around 18 Nobel Laureates and is particularly acclaimed for its medical school, business school, department of law, and biomedical engineering. Currently, Case Western has a student enrolment of 11,000 who study around 250 majors.
6. Loyola University
Loyola is a prominent catholic university based in Chicago, Illinois, and was established around 1870. With a student enrolment of over 16,000, the university offers around 230 different undergraduate and graduate programs.
In addition to its Chicago campus, the university also has international campuses in Rome and programs in Ho Chi Minh City and Beijing.
7. Mount Holyoke College
Established in 1837, Mount Holyoke College is a women’s liberal arts college in Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the Seven Sisters College network and is also a member of the prestigious Five College Consortium. Mount Holyoke currently has over 2200 students who have access to over 50 departmental majors as well as numerous study abroad programs and exchange programs.Â
8. Carleton College
Carleton College is a private liberal arts college located in Northfield, Minnesota. The college has a student population of over 2,100 and offers over 30 different liberal arts majors. It has been consistently ranked as one of the top-rated liberal arts colleges in the United States. The college further offers over 240 different student organizations and is known for its high satisfaction in terms of the student experience.
9. Smith College
Based in Northampton, Massachusetts, Smith College is a private women’s liberal arts college and is another member of the Seven Sisters network. It was established in 1871 and has grown to become a prominent liberal arts institution that educates nearly 3000 students across 40 academic departments. It is one of the first women’s colleges in the United States to grant an undergraduate degree in Engineering.
10. Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University is a public, historically black university located in Lorman, Mississippi. Founded in 1871, the university currently enrolls a student populace of over 3700 who have access to over 50 different academic areas of study. Its alumni are noted for contributing to the civil rights movements in the mid-twentieth century.
11. Jackson State University
Similar to Alcorn State, Jackson State is another public, historically black university that is based in Jackson, Mississippi. With an enrolment of over 7000 students, the university offers several academic departments ranging across the business, liberal arts, science, engineering, and journalism.
Students have access to over 100 different clubs and organizations as well. The university is also acclaimed for its research intensity.
12. Reed College
Based in Portland, Oregon, Reed College is an independent liberal arts college that is known for its senior thesis requirements, compulsory humanities program, and general academic excellence. The college was founded in 1908 and has grown into an elite institution with an enrolment of over 1400 students.
It offers around 40 different majors and 5 specific humanities courses, including interdisciplinary and dual degree programs (in connection to other universities).
13. Union College
Union College is a private liberal arts institution that was established in 1795 in Schenectady, New York. It is one of the oldest institutes of higher education to be chartered in New York and is considered to be one of the ‘Little Ivies’ due to its high standards of academics. The college has a student enrolment of around 2200, who have access to 20 different departments with a wide range of majors in the liberal arts.
The college is also acclaimed for its high rate of students who engage in study-abroad and international programs. You can apply to this good college without paying application fees.
14. DePauw University
DePauw University is a private liberal arts college in Greencastle, Indiana. It was founded in 1837 and currently has a student enrolment of around 2300 students. It is among the top tier of liberal arts colleges in the United States. Students have the option of choosing a Program of Distinction which caters to different academic strengths.
15. Sewanee: The University of the South
Commonly known as Sewanee, this university is a private, liberal arts college that is located in the city of Sewanee, Tennessee. With a student enrolment nearing 2000, the university offers several liberal arts majors. It is acclaimed for producing the oldest literary magazine in the country and the college is associated with a rich tapestry of student traditions.
16. St. Olaf College
Founded in 1874 by Norwegian-American immigrants and named after the Olaf II, the patron saint of Norway, St. Olaf’s College is a private, co-educational liberal arts institution that is located in Northfield, Minnesota. The university offers several interdisciplinary degrees in addition to the 40 majors of study for its student populace of 300.
Students are typically required to complete foundation courses as well as core studies such as society, human behavior, and theology prior to their graduation.
17. Denison University
Denison University is a private liberal arts university that was founded in 1831 and is located in Granville, Ohio. The university is highly diverse as it has an enrolment of 2100+ undergraduate students from all 50 states and over 40 countries. With three main degrees offered, Denison’s most popular majors include Economics, Psychology, Biology, and English. Students also have the choice of creating their own ‘interdepartmental’ major.
Over 200 organizations and societies are further offered for the student community. Some of the famous alumni of Denison include Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner.
18. Rhodes College
Rhodes College is a liberal arts college of private status and is based in Memphis, Tennessee. Established in 1848, the university’s campus is acclaimed for its natural beauty and significant architecture. With a student population of 2200, Rhodes’ key features include small class sizes and a strong emphasis on writing and research work.
It offers over 50 different majors of study, including interdisciplinary degrees. The university is also known for its internship opportunities. You can study at this excellent liberal arts college by applying with no application fees.
19. Drake University
Located in Des Moines, Iowa, Drake University is a private, coeducational university. It was founded in 1881 and has grown into an elite institution of higher education that provides for over 5000 students. The university offers a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees including professional courses such as Law and Business.
Drake is also famous for being home to one of the oldest law schools in the United States. Students have access to over 150 different student organizations and an enriching extra-curricular experience.
20. Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College is a private liberal arts college located in Portland, Oregon. The institution, which was founded in 1867, currently has a student enrolment of 3400 with international students coming in from over 50 different countries. It offers a diverse range of departmental majors as well as multiple study-abroad programs. These are provided through the undergraduate college of arts & sciences, the school of law, and the graduate school of education.
21. St. John’s University
Located in New York City, St. John’s University is a private catholic university that was founded in 1870. It has an extensive campus with satellite areas in Manhattan and Staten Island, as well as overseas campuses in Rome, Paris, and Limerick in Ireland. The university has a student population of over 21,000 and is academically arranged into 5 undergraduate schools and 6 graduate schools.
Collectively, the departments offer over 100 undergraduate and graduate degrees. The university boasts a diverse student community, with students from all 50 states and over 122 countries.
22. Ursinus College
Ursinus College is a private liberal arts institution that was founded in 1869. It is based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and is one of the only secular colleges in the state. Since its exclusive Pennsylvanian status, the university has grown into providing education for over 1500 students who hail from 35 states and 12 countries. A diverse range of over 100 student organizations is provided for all the students.
23. Brandman University
Brandman University is a private, non-profit university located in Irvine, California. It has over 20 satellite campuses across California and Washington State as well as an online virtual campus for long-distance education. The university currently has a student enrolment of well over 11,000, consisting predominantly of postgraduate students.
Brandman offers around 60 different degree programs for Bachelors, Masters, Doctoral, and other professional students. It is also reputed for being a ‘military-friendly institution as it offers reduced tuition rates for active military and their dependents.
24. Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University is a private undergraduate liberal arts college that is based in Bloomington Indiana. The university was founded in 1854 and currently educates close to 2,000 students who study across 80 provided departmental majors. Its key strengths lie in the fields of liberal arts, fine arts, and business.
IWU is very generous in offering scholarships and more than 9 in 10 students receive a scholarship or any form of need-based financial assistance. The university also ranks in the national top 40 for students studying abroad and provides well over 300 study abroad options across 70 different countries.
If you want to study at this excellent university, apply! You definitely should because this university has no application fees!
25. Michigan Technological University
Located in the city of Houghton, Michigan, Michigan Technological University is a private research university. It was founded in 1885 as an institution to train engineers for the local mines.
Since its inception, the university has now expanded to a diverse campus that trains and educates well over 7300 students in the fields of science, technology, business in addition to engineering. Michigan Tech currently offers over 150 programs in these fields of study via 5 academic schools.
The university’s prominent strengths are in the field of environmental and mechanical engineering and are highly research-intensive. Approximately 14% of the university’s student population consists of international students.
26. Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a prominent private liberal arts college located in Gambier, Ohio. The college was founded in 1824. It currently has a student enrolment of over 1700. Kenyon is committed to providing a well-rounded academic experience for its students.
A key academic feature of the university is the fact that students are required to take classes in four academic divisions including the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Foreign language courses are encouraged as well. The application fee is waived through all online applications.
27. Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a private women’s liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1885 and is a member of the Seven Sister Colleges network. With a student population of over 1700, the college has been consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the United States.
Bryn Mawr is also acclaimed for being the first women’s institution to grant graduate degrees through a Ph.D. program. In terms of academics, students are required to complete courses in natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The application fee is waived when submitted online.
28. Hampshire College
Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, Hampshire College is an elite liberal arts college that was first founded in 1965. It is a member of the Five College Consortium that includes Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges.
Currently, Hampshire has a student enrolment exceeding 1300. Hampshire is widely acclaimed for its socially liberal politics, alternative curriculum, and general ‘experimental’ nature of education.
Non-traditional features include a curriculum focused on the students’ interests focusing on narrative evaluations as opposed to the GPA system. The academic structure consists of ‘schools of thought’ such as Cognitive Science, Natural Science, and Interdisciplinary Arts.
29. Lawrence University
Lawrence University is a private liberal arts institution and music conservatory that is located in Appleton, Wisconsin. Established in 1847, the university is known for being the second institute of higher education to become a co-educational university. Lawrence has been consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the United States.
Currently, the university has a student population of over 1500. A diverse range of majors is offered, predominantly in the liberal arts as well as engineering and health sciences. The Conservatory of Music is another segment of the university that provides music education to students. This university waives the application fees.
30. Gustavus Adolphus College
Located in St. Peter Minnesota, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts university that was founded in 1862. Its 2400 students have access to over 70 different majors of study across 25 academic departments, which include interdisciplinary and study abroad programs.
The university has produced a rich series of alumni who have reached prestigious levels as well as gained membership as Rhodes, Fulbright, Marshall, and Truman Scholars.
It recently adopted a ‘test-optional admission policy’ that forgoes requirements such as the ACT/SAT scores for prospective applicants.
31. Berea College
Berea College is a private liberal arts undergraduate college that is located in Berea, Kentucky. The institution was founded in 1855 and is acclaimed for being one of the first higher education colleges to be co-educational and racially integrated.
It is also noted for charging no tuition expenses and every admitted student is offered a full scholarship. The college currently provides over 32 departmental majors to a student enrollment of over 1000 undergraduates.
32. Baker University
Baker University is a private university located in Baldwin City, Kansas. It was established in 1858 as one of the first institutions of higher education in the state of Kansas. Since its inception, the student population currently exceeds over 3000. Students have access to more than 120 areas of undergraduate majors and the university is academically divided into 4 main schools.
Furthermore, the university has several branches spread throughout Kansas and stretching to Missouri. It has evolved into becoming one of the leading private universities in the American Midwest.
33. Grinnell College
Based in Grinnell, Iowa, Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1846. The university provides education for a student enrolment of over 1200 students. Grinnell is reputed for its strong academics as well as commitment towards social justice.
A key feature of the academics at Grinnell is the open curriculum that enables its students to curate their own majors and courses of study. It further offers collaborative programs with other elite universities such as Columbia University, Caltech, and Dartmouth College.
34. Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College is a private liberal arts college located in Hillsdale, Michigan. The college was established in 1844. It is among the only institutions of higher education in the United States that decline federal financial support and relies mostly on private donations and endowments. The college has a student population of around 1400 students and offers a wide variety of undergraduate majors.
Students are encouraged to complete a core curriculum that includes sciences such as biology and chemistry, US history, and the US Constitution. Hillsdale further offers graduate programs in Politics. The application fee is automatically waived when an online application is submitted.
35. Beloit College
Beloit College is a private liberal arts college that was established in 1846. It is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and is among the oldest institutions of higher education in the state. The college currently has a student enrolment of over 1500. The curricula of Beloit encourage experiential learning and the practical applications of liberal arts.
The academic strengths of the college include Geology and Anthropology. The college is focused on small class sizes numbering around 15 students at maximum so as to make the learning experience more effective.
37. Ohio Wesleyan University
Located in Delaware, Ohio, Ohio Wesleyan University is a private nonsectarian university that was established in 1842. It is one of the first universities to have liberal principles since its inception and admits students regardless of race or religion.
With a student population of over 1600, the university is also reputed for having the eleventh highest percentage of international students that are admitted to liberal arts colleges. Students are encouraged to actively participate in student exchange programs with several countries.
The university offers over 35 different undergraduate majors and students are required to complete 34 units of coursework to earn their degrees.
38. Juniata College
Juniata College is a private liberal arts institution located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1876 as one of the state’s oldest co-educational institutions. The college has now expanded to educating around 1600 students hailing from over 42 states and over 40 different countries.
Rather than offering academic programs, the college has ‘programs of emphasis’ where students tailor their own education according to their interests. Programs are focused on the liberal arts and range from humanities and social sciences to sciences and arts. Study-abroad programs are offered in 22 countries.
39. Trinity University
Trinity University is a private university located in San Antonio, Texas. Established in 1869, the university is a member of the Annapolis Group of institutions that are committed to educating in the liberal arts. Trinity currently has an enrolment of over 2300 undergraduates and 200 graduate students and offers over 90 different majors and minors for its students.
Its students come from over 45 states and 65 different countries. Fields of study range from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, business, and fine arts. Trinity further offers several study-abroad programs in 30 countries.
40. University of St. Thomas, Minnesota
The University of St. Thomas is a private liberal arts university based in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded in 1885 as a catholic seminary but has now evolved into one of the largest private universities in the state of Minnesota. St. Thomas currently has a student community exceeding 10,000.
It offers around 88 majors and 59 minors at the undergraduate level of study as well as over 60 Master’s, Graduate, and professional degrees, provided through nine academic divisions. Students also have access to a wealth of sports and student-run organizations as part of their collegiate experience.
41. University of Dayton
Located in Dayton, Ohio, the University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university that was founded in 1850. It is the second-largest private university in Ohio and provides education for over 10,000 students.
In addition to its main campus in Dayton, it also runs an international center in the Suzhou Industrial Park in China. Its student community hail from across the United States and over 40 countries.
Dayton offers over 80 academic programs in a wide range of fields ranging from natural science, health sciences, and engineering to business, law, and education. It is also the first institution of higher education in the United States to offer a degree in Human Rights.
I hope that this article on universities with no application fee was helpful. If you are interested in studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students!
