Columbia, NYU, Georgetown, Harvard and Cal Tech top the list of the most expensive universities, according to the study

When you look at the cost of college, you often think of tuition and fees. But what happens when you factor in food, rent, supplies, and other living expenses? One company has done just that.

“The average total cost of a four-year degree in the United States is $307,658,” says the Self Financial study. “This cost is spread across a range of expenses students incur during their time at university, including rent, food, and course materials.”

A four-year degree at Columbia University in New York City can cost around $514,442, including costs such as living expenses and groceries. The Manhattan campus is also the most expensive in America, according to the new study.

The four other universities among the top five most expensive universities are New York University at $497,402, Georgetown in Washington DC at $472,817, Harvard in Boston at $472,027, and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena at $458,330.

While the most expensive colleges and universities are located in coastal regions known for their high cost of living, the study found that universities are the most affordable in many of the states you cross.

The most affordable colleges and universities, according to the study, are: Brigham Young University in Utah at $138,528; Western Governors University in Utah at $143,591; Minot State University in North Dakota at $151,572; Purdue University–West Lafayette in Indiana at $154,952; and New Mexico State University at $155,304.

The total amounts represent the total price for the tuition fees.

The study was commissioned by Self Financial, a technology lending company, and used data from various online sources: “This analysis examined 200 universities (the top four in each state) and 18 different data points to determine the most expensive and least expensive universities for students.”

Darren Kingman of Root Digital, who conducted the research on behalf of Self Financial, said the study shows that “it’s not just tuition that influences how expensive college life can be.”

“The cost of rent, course materials and living expenses vary for students at different colleges and all of this impacts the overall cost. While Harvard’s tuition is slightly lower than schools like Caltech and Yale, rent for on-campus and on-site housing costs more for Harvard students, driving up the overall cost over four years,” he said. The College Fix by email.

“Although a number of Ivy League colleges are represented in the list of the 20 most expensive colleges, some were outperformed by non-Ivy League universities such as the University of Southern California and the University of Chicago. Princeton is just outside the top 20 and is the 23rd most expensive university.”

Columbia University’s Media Affairs Department did not respond to requests for comment from The solution.

The study found that tuition fees at public universities are consistently cheaper for in-state residents.

“For a student with an in-state discount, rent accounts for the largest share of costs over four years (including one year on campus and three years of off-campus rent with three people), at 36.7%. Tuition and fees account for 32.1% of total costs, followed by take-out and off-premises meals, at 8% of all expenses,” Self reported.

In contrast, “students at a private university pay the same tuition regardless of whether they live in the same state as the university or not.”

The study comes at a time when more Americans than ever are asking whether a four-year degree is a good investment.

According to a study published in May by the US research institute Pew Research, “Only one in four adults in the United States say that in today’s economy, having a four-year college degree is extremely or very important to getting a well-paying job.”

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