The best things in life are free, including a tuition-free college education for aspiring students and parents in the know.

You might think that a college education is too expensive to give away for free. You’d be wrong. While many institutions of higher learning have reportedly declined to reduce their tuition after switching from in-class to remote learning during the pandemic, there are plenty of colleges and universities willing to lend a helping hand to qualified students in need.

For example, Ivy League schools and other elite colleges and universities with large endowments and generous alumni can provide scholarships and grants to their students to offset their education costs—in some cases, all of their costs. And U.S. military academies provide free tuition, as well as free room and board.

But there are several other ways to get free tuition for people who don't qualify for those very selective institutions, according to College Consensus, which ranks each school based on the combined average of its Publisher Consensus and Student Consensus scores.

People from low-income families, first-generation students, foster kids, and other underrepresented groups are eligible to apply for programs that allow them to attend an institution of higher learning for free. Some can earn a college degree through a work program such as the one offered at College of the Ozarks. Once a staple of American life during the Great Depression, college work programs offer students the option to pay as they go, not after they graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. 

But even if the tuition is free, in most cases recipients are still on the hook for other costs associated with a college education such as housing, meals and activity fees.

Here, in ascending order, are the top 15 tuition-free colleges and universities, according to College Consensus.

15. Alice Lloyd College, Pippa Passes, Ken.

Co-founded in 1923 by Cambridge journalist Alice Spencer Geddes Lloyd and New York City educator June Buchanan, this four-year private liberal arts work college awards every qualified student The Appalachian Leaders College Scholarship, which pays the cost of tuition for as many as 10 semesters.

14. College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo.

The College of the Ozarks is a co-educational, Christian liberal arts school founded in 1906. The school offers a comprehensive work program coupled with federal and state grants, including The College of the Ozarks scholarship that's supported by friends of the college.

13. United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y.

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, known as USMMA or Kings Point, educates and trains officers at no cost to them. Graduates must serve five years as either a merchant marine officer aboard a U.S. military or civilian ship, or with a maritime-related profession.

12. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.

This private research institution, named for its founder, Cornelius Vanderbilt, offers qualified students the opportunity to participate in the Ingram Scholarship Program. In exchange for 20 hours of service per week working with nonprofit groups and governmental organizations, participating students receive full tuition plus a stipend for summer in-service projects.

11. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C.

UNC is a public research institution that shares the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program with Duke University. Both schools select several young leaders to receive a four-year scholarship, which includes full undergraduate tuition, room and board, as well as additional required expenses. Scholars also receive three summers of international and domestic experiences.

10. Brown University, Providence, R.I.

Founded in 1764, Brown is a prestigious Ivy League university. Since 2008, the school has guaranteed all students it accepts a debt-free education by calculating family contribution, then arranging payment of a student’s remaining cost through scholarships and campus employment.

9. Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.

The smallest of the Ivy League schools, Dartmouth is a comprehensive, doctoral-level research university. Students whose families make less than $100,000 a year pay their tuition at Dartmouth with scholarships and work study jobs on campus.

8. Duke University, Durham, N.C.

Duke University is a private research institution founded by Methodists and Quakers as Trinity College in 1838. The school shares the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program with UNC. Each recipient is awarded a four-year scholarship that includes full undergraduate tuition, room and board, as well as coverage of additional required expenses.

7. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.

Founded by Benjamin Franklin as America’s first university, this world-renowned Ivy League school is committed to ensuring that no student it accepts will have to pay for their education with a student loan. Instead, all financial aid consists of grants and work study.

6. Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell follows the lead of other Ivy League universities by smashing financial barriers to a college education. Students whose families make less than $75,000 annually are eligible to receive scholarships and grants, without the need to take out student loans.

5. Columbia University, New York City, N.Y.

An Ivy League school, Columbia University is one of the three most selective universities in the nation. Columbia helps all students pay for their education by awarding more than $140 million annually in scholarships and grants. Students whose families make less than $60,000 never pay at all.

4. Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

Founded in 1746, Princeton was reportedly the first U.S. university to completely eliminate students loans. It follows in the footsteps of other Ivy League schools by aggressively courting the highest caliber students with a generous financial aid package of scholarships and grants. Students whose families earn less than $65,000 a year pay nothing if admitted there.

3. Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

This prestigious Ivy League school is the nation’s third-oldest university, with the second highest endowment, giving it the means to ensure that every student it accepts has the financial resources to succeed academically. Families making less than $65,000 annually have no required contribution, and 85% of Yale graduates leave school with no debt at all.

2. Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Founded in 1636, this Ivy League school has a global reputation for academic excellence, as well as deep pockets with the largest endowment in the world. American and international students alike are all eligible for scholarships, grants and work study programs in place of student loans. Families making less than $65,000 a year—a fifth of Harvard’s students—pay nothing at all.

1. Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

Founded in 1885 by railroad baron Leland Stanford and modeled on East Coast Ivy League schools, Stanford is also as generous as those institutions. Every student accepted there is eligible for scholarships, grants and other non-loan aid to meet their financial needs. Nearly half of all students receive need-based aid, and every student whose family makes $65,000 or less a year gets a full scholarship without paying a dime.