1. Macaulay Honors College at City University of New York (CUNY) — New York, New York
Acceptance rate: 20%
Students per incoming class: 520
Since 2001, this prestigious honors college has offered tuition-free admission to schools in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Macaulay honors students can attend any four-year university of the eight currently in the CUNY system, including the City College of New York, Hunter College, and Baruch College.
Source: Public University Honors
2. Weill Cornell Medical College — New York, New York
Acceptance rate: 5%
Total enrollment: 405
Weill Cornell announced on Monday that it would provide funds for students with financial need. That includes tuition, housing, books, and food.
Source: The Princeton Review
3. New York University School of Medicine — New York, New York
Acceptance Rate: 6%
Total enrollment: 711
Unlike Weill Cornell, NYU's medical school offers full rides to all medical students enrolled each year. NYU announced the plan in August 2018, saying it had raised $450 million of the desired $600 million to make its medical school free for the foreseeable future.
Source: The Princeton Review
4. Webb Institute — Glen Cove, New York
Acceptance rate: 35%
Total enrollment: 98
Webb Institute, an undergraduate school, only has 98 students, and it covers tuition for all of them. Students at this college only have one program to choose from: a double major in naval architecture and marine engineering.
Source: Niche
5. Barclay College — Haviland, Kansas
Acceptance rate: 67%
Total enrollment: 178
This private Christian college offers free tuition for undergraduate students who live on campus, including international students.
Source: Niche
6. Berea College — Berea, Kentucky
Acceptance rate: 35%
Total enrollment: 1,615
Berea College offers the Tuition Promise Scholarship, worth over $100,000, to every admitted student. Students may be getting a full ride, but they're also required to work on campus at least 10 hours per week.
Source: Niche
7. Curtis Institute of Music — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Acceptance rate: 3%
Total enrollment: 131
Unlike the other schools on this list, Curtis Institute of Music requires an audition, which explains why the acceptance rate is among the lowest in the nation. Once students get accepted, they only pay an annual $1,700 comprehensive fee.
Source: Niche
Read more: The 20 most exclusive colleges and universities in the US
8. Alice Lloyd College — Pippa Passes, Kentucky
Acceptance rate: 26%
Total enrollment: 584
Students from 108 Central Appalachian counties — in states like Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia — qualify for a full ride at Alice Lloyd College. All students at the college are required to join the student work program.
Source: Niche
9. College of the Ozarks — Point Lookout, Missouri
Acceptance rate: 13%
Total enrollment: 1,477
This Christian private college charges no tuition, and like other schools on this list, students are required to work — at College of the Ozarks, students work 15 hours a week plus two 40-hour weeks at some point during the academic year.
Source: Niche
10. United States Air Force Academy — El Paso County, Colorado
Acceptance rate: 12%
Total enrollment: 4,276
Cadets at USAFA pay no tuition, but are required to serve in the military upon graduation. According to the academy's site, to be accepted, students must be "of good moral character" and be between the ages of 17 and 23.
Source: Niche
11. United States Coast Guard Academy — New London, Connecticut
Acceptance rate: 15%
Total enrollment: 1,044
Cadets at the USCGA pay no tuition, but are required to serve in the US Coast Guard for five years upon graduation. Cadets also earn a "modest paycheck," according to the academy's site.
Source: Niche
12. United States Merchant Marine Academy — Kings Point, New York
Acceptance rate: 22%
Total enrollment: 954
Like other military academies, students serve in the military in exchange for waived tuition. Students at USMMA, however, have a "Sea Year," where they travel the world aboard commercial vessels.
Source: Niche
13. United States Military Academy at West Point — West Point, New York
Acceptance rate: 10%
Total enrollment: 4,491
West Point is known for being one of the most rigorous military academies in the US. According to its site, "it's where America cultivates leaders for our nation's future generations." Notable alumni include Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight Eisenhower, and Douglas MacArthur.
Source: Niche
14. United States Naval Academy — Annapolis, Maryland
Acceptance rate: 8%
Total enrollment: 4,495
Students at USNA, also called midshipmen, must serve five years as an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps after graduation, followed by the reserves.
Source: Niche