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Exceptional Ivy Leaguers: 15 Of The Most Expensive Universities And Colleges In The World

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1d ago

Nov 03, 2024 / 1638 Views

Evan Walker

Once upon a time, Education was reserved for only the wealthy elite and upper classes — yes, like the Gilmores and the Huntzbergers of old. Today, tertiary Education has become more accessible to the general populace — at a price. These are 15 of the most expensive universities in the world, where academics can seek out Education at the highest level.

If one thing has remained a constant in the ever-shifting landscape of our world, it is this: that humanity has lived in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom from the very beginning. Little has changed between then and the founding of the world’s first university, the University of Al Quaraouiyine in 859; if anything, our desire to learn has only grown.

The most expensive universities in the world: are they worth it?

Tertiary Education has long been viewed as an investment, most notably for the resultant certifications and degrees one receives upon graduation. While these certifications and degrees most certainly open doors to future professional growth, students who hail from Ivy League universities are afforded even greater perks: the connections they make throughout their years spent in pursuit of tertiary Education. If History and its corresponding television depictions are to be believed, the elite and the iNFLuential tend to run in the same circles — from social clubs and holiday destinations to places of employment, and you’ve guessed it: institutions of higher Education.

Where the wealthy gain wisdom

It makes perfect sense that the creme de la creme of society find themselves concentrated within the same circles. A 2021 article by Forbes reported that more than a quarter of America’s wealthiest pursued higher education in one of twelve Ivy League colleges. Among the list are some of the world’s most expensive universities: Yale, Cornell, Princeton, Columbia, and Dartmouth, to name a mere few. And they’re well deserving of their hefty price tags.

After all, institutions of higher learning with longstanding reputations for fostering success simply attract better professors, and thus, more students. Case in point: Harvard University, The University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University have each produced 28 billionaires apiece, including the likes of former President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, and Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang.

Alongside the exceptional quality of Education provided by these institutions, the public success of their famous alma maters also contributes to an iNFLux of student applications. This in turn reinforces the reputation and standing of these universities in the eyes of the world, increasing the value of an acceptance letter that much more. After all, higher quality leads to higher demand, and that ultimately leads to increased tuition fees.

Beyond tuition fees: other costs of attending the most expensive universities in the world

While tuition fees themselves do tend to go up from year to year, there are other costs that come with attending any one of the world’s most expensive universities. For one, students are expected to account for additional costs. In addition to first-time registration fees, the cost of attending university must also include accommodation, commuting and food costs, schooling supplies and textbooks, and other miscellaneous necessities. The location of the university is also an important factor to consider, with major cities like New York and Chicago inundated with higher costs of living.

Considering the disparity in tuition fees for public and private institutions, most students in the United States pay between USD 26,027 to USD 55,840 per year. In contrast, the most expensive universities in the world charge tuition fees of over USD 60,000 per year. Read on to see which ones made the list.