University education can be expensive, but could these universities exceed our expectations? Although a university education is a luxury that is not available to everyone, perhaps the dream of many is here among immense green campuses and historical faculties.
There many college student who wants to discover the most expensive universities in the world. Then, tell us if prestige justifies their price. Today we look at the top 10 most expensive universities in the world. Check out the full, detailed list of the most expensive university in the world given here:
Top 10 Most Expensive Universities in the World
10. Nanyang Technological University
- University Fee: $19,000 per year
- University Location: Singapore
- Campus Area: 200 hectares (494 acres)
- Faculty: 8 faculties, including Engineering, Science, and Business
- Famous For: Largest campus in Singapore; top engineering programs
- Admission Rate: 36%
- Notable Alumni: Tony Tan (former President of Singapore), Ho Ching, Subra Suresh
It was founded in 1991 and is located in Singapore. Although it is a young university, it is considered one of the best universities in the world and the fourth-best in Asia. Its 200-hectare campus makes it the largest in Singapore. It has approximately 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 8 faculties and schools.
These currently include the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, the School of Business, and the School of Medicine, which has an agreement with the Imperial University in London. NTU, as the Nanyang Technological University is also known, has autonomous institutes.
Such as the National Institute of Education and the Earth Observatory of Singapore. Among the schools that stand out most are the School of Engineering and Business, considered the best in Singapore for 13 consecutive years until today. Would you be interested in studying in a pleasant environment surrounded by nature? Its total annual cost is $19,000.
9. Oxford University
- University Fee: $28,700 per year
- University Location: Oxford, England, United Kingdom
- Campus Area: 2,202 acres
- Faculty: 39 colleges
- Famous For: Oldest English-speaking university; 52 Nobel laureates
- Admission Rate: 17%
- Notable Alumni: Bill Clinton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Oscar Wilde
It is the oldest English-speaking university in the world. The native foundation of this university is still a mystery, but there is evidence of teaching since 1096. It’s located in Oxford, England. The main rival of Oxford University is Cambridge University, founded years later.
It is considered that Cambridge is superior in scientific subjects, whereas Oxford is considered superior in humanities subjects. Oxford University has been the alma mater of 27 British Prime Ministers, 1 United States President, and at least 30 world leaders.
It also has 52 Nobel laureate alumni, so it is no surprise that it is one of the best universities in the world. The admission system is quite rigorous and is based on academic merit and the candidate’s potential. Do you want to share the same corridors that Bill Clinton, Oscar Wilde, J.R.R. Tolkien, and others walked through? The annual fee is $28,700.
8. University College London
- University Fee: $29,400 per year
- University Location: London, England, United Kingdom
- Campus Area: 238,000 square feet
- Faculty: 11 faculties, including Arts & Humanities, Engineering, and Law
- Famous For: Urbanism, Architecture, 30 Nobel laureates
- Admission Rate: 16%
- Notable Alumni: Mahatma Gandhi, Alexander Graham Bell, Christopher Nolan
It is a public university founded in 1826, known as the University of London, and is, of course, located in London, United Kingdom. UCL is the third-oldest university in England. It highlights the School of Urbanism and Architecture as one of the most prestigious and important worldwide.
There are 30 Nobel prizes among the students and graduates of UCL. Through their classrooms passed Mahatma Gandhi, the inventor of the telephone Alexander Graham Bell, Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of the DNA structure, and Chris Martin, the vocalist of the rock band Coldplay. The annual payment per student is $29,400. Do you want to look most expensive pen in the world?
7. Imperial College London
- University Fee: $35,000 per year
- University Location: London, England, United Kingdom
- Campus Area: 525,233 square feet
- Faculty: Specialties in Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Business
- Famous For: Penicillin discovery, 15 Nobel laureates, international student body
- Admission Rate: 14.3%
- Notable Alumni: Alexander Fleming, Brian May, and H.G. Wells
Founded in 1907 and located in London, England, it is consistently among the top three universities in the United Kingdom. It specializes in science, engineering, medicine, and business sciences. It receives a large number of foreign students annually, with 27 percent of students coming from outside the European Union.
It has 15 Nobel laureate alumni, and one of its most important contributions to society has been the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography, and fiber optics. Among its former students are the most renowned scientists, such as physicist Abdus Salam, pharmacologist Alexander Fleming, and astrophysicist Brian May. Do you know the name of this astrophysicist? He’s also Queen’s guitarist. The annual cost to be one of its students is $35,000.
6. University of Cambridge
- University Fee: $36,000 per year
- University Location: Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
- Campus Area: 710 acres
- Faculty: 31 colleges
- Famous For: Historical importance, 121 Nobel laureates, 15 million books in the library
- Admission Rate: 21%
- Notable Alumni: Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, and Charles Darwin
It is the second-oldest university in the world. It was founded in 1209 and is located in the city of Cambridge, England. The university has eight museums, a botanical garden, and a library with more than 15 million books. Isn’t that amazing?
Among its buildings, some are of great historical importance. Together with Oxford University, Cambridge University has formed a large number of the most outstanding scientists, writers, and politicians in the United Kingdom.
It was the alma mater of Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Mother Teresa, and Stephen Hawking. Admission to this university is not easy, as only 30 percent of applicants manage to enter. Do you want to become a Cambridge genius? You only need $36,000.
Top 5 Most Expensive University in the World
5. Harvard University
- University Fee: $45,000 per year
- University Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Campus Area: 5,076 acres (including Harvard Forest)
- Faculty: 12 degree-granting schools
- Famous For: 157 Nobel laureates, 8 U.S. presidents, and the Harvard Library (world’s largest academic library)
- Admission Rate: 3.4%
- Notable Alumni: Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama, Bill Gates
Founded in 1636 and located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, Harvard is possibly one of the most well-known and prestigious universities in the world. It is also one of the oldest higher education institutions in the United States. Harvard is a large and highly residential research university.
It operates several museums of art, culture, and science, as well as the Harvard Library, which has the largest private and academic library system in the world, comprising 79 libraries with more than 18 million books. It was the alma mater of eight presidents, including Barack Obama, the former President of the United States.
62 billionaires, including Mark Zuckerberg—yes, Facebook was born at Harvard—also attended. To this date, Harvard has 157 Nobel Prizes, and among its alumni, it boasts ten Academy Awards and 108 Olympic medals. To have the honor of studying at one of the most recognized universities in the world, you must pay an annual tuition of $45,000.
4. University of Chicago
- University Fee: $47,800 per year
- University Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Campus Area: 217 acres
- Faculty: 9 schools, including Law, Business, and Medicine
- Famous For: 91 Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary education
- Admission Rate: 6.5%
- Notable Alumni: Barack Obama (former professor), Milton Friedman, Carl Sagan
It is a private university located in Chicago, United States, and is one of the most recognized and prestigious in the world. It was founded in 1890 and has 91 Nobel Prizes, taking fourth place among the universities with the most Nobel Prizes in the world. Barack Obama was a professor for 12 years at this university.
The institution is known for its interdisciplinary general education through curricula that emphasize the learning of foreign languages and international study opportunities. Many of its professors and students have played an important role in economic, social, and scientific development.
A clear example of its contribution to science is the creation of the first self-sufficient nuclear reactor, directed by Enrico Fermi. In addition, the business school of the university has been classified as the best business school in the world from 2006 to date. To be a part of its distinguished student body, you only need $47,800 per year.
3. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- University Fee: $48,000 per year
- University Location: Pasadena, California, United States
- Campus Area: 124 acres
- Faculty: Focused on Science and Technology
- Famous For: Nobel laureates (72), NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Admission Rate: 8%
- Notable Alumni: Albert Einstein (affiliated), Richard Feynman, Kip Thorne
Located in Pasadena, United States, and founded in 1891, it is also known as Caltech. The motto is “The truth will set you free.” It is recognized as one of the best universities in the world and one of the few specializing in teaching and research in the fields of science and technology.
Among the achievements of the university stands the discovery of vitamin C by researcher Linus Pauling in 1930. In the field of geophysics, the creation of the Richter scale by Charles Richter to measure the intensity of earthquakes is notable. It has 72 Nobel Prizes to date. Caltech controls and directs NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which supports the Spitzer Telescope. Possibly, it is the university with the lowest percentage of admission—only 8% of its applicants manage to obtain a pass inside its installations.
Some episodes of the popular series The Big Bang Theory were shot at this university because it is where the characters of this television program work. However, it has not been its only television appearance; scenes from The X-Files and Mission Impossible were also recorded on the premises. In order to further your science studies, you only need an annual tuition of $48,000.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- University Fee: $50,000 per year
- University Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Campus Area: 168 acres
- Faculty: 5 schools, 32 academic departments
- Famous For: Engineering, physics, and technology education; 85 Nobel laureates
- Admission Rate: 8.5%
- Notable Alumni: Kofi Annan, Buzz Aldrin, Richard Feynman
It was founded in 1861 as a result of the industrialization of the United States and is traditionally known for its research in education, physical sciences and engineering. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. It has five schools and a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on research, engineering, and technology education.
Over the past 60 years, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has expanded its disciplines beyond physics and engineering and entered into the fields of biology, economics, linguistics, and administration. Its acceptance rate is one of the lowest—only 8.5% of applicants manage to be accepted. It has 85 Nobel Prizes, 52 national science medals, and 34 astronauts.
The growth of MIT, as it is known by its initials, is due to the result of the Second World War and the fact that the United States government invested in science and technology in response to the launch of the Sputnik program, which are the space missions executed by the Soviet Union. Its engineering school is recognized as the best in the United States and in the world.
MIT has been recognized as the best university in the world from 2012 to the present. It has plenty of reasons to be the most selective university in the United States. The dream of every engineering student has an annual cost of $50,000.
1. Stanford University
- University Fee: $65,000 per year
- University Location: California, United States
- Campus Area: 8,180 acres
- Faculty: 7 schools, including Engineering, Law, and Business
- Famous For: Producing 30 billionaires, 27 Nobel laureates, and tech giants like Google and Yahoo
- Admission Rate: 4.3%
- Notable Alumni: Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin
Stanford University is founded in 1885 and is located in California, United States, it is the most expensive university in the world and also one of the most prestigious. Its first students were accepted in 1891, and since then, it has produced 30 billionaires and 17 astronauts. The motto of the university is “The wind of freedom blows.”
Its reputation increased as a result of the Second World War, thanks to its military research projects. Stanford has been the cradle of different technical and scientific companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, VMware, Yahoo, Google, and Sun Microsystems. A curious fact is that Sun was the abbreviation for Stanford University Network.
To date, it has won 27 Nobel Prizes in the areas of economics, chemistry, and medicine. Stanford also stands out as one of the 10 best universities in the United States in the fields of electrical engineering, computer engineering, economics, business studies, and law. To be a part of Stanford, you will only need $65,000 per year.
What about you? Are you considering a first-class education now that you already know the cost of these universities? Leave your opinion in the comments.
FAQ’s
What is the most expensive university in the world?
The most expensive university in the world is Stanford University, with an annual fee of approximately $65,000.
What is the No. 1 university in the world?
The No. 1 university in the world is often considered to be Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which has consistently ranked as the best university globally, especially in the fields of engineering and technology.
What university has the most money in the world?
Harvard University has the largest endowment in the world, valued at over $50 billion. This massive financial reserve supports its extensive research programs, scholarships, and facilities.
Who is the most expensive school in the world?
The most expensive school in the world is Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland, also known as “The School of Kings.” The annual tuition is around $130,000, making it the priciest boarding school globally.