Yes, they really are tuition-free…At some of them you have to work, at some you don’t. Check out each school below – if you click on the college’s name it’ll take you to their website.
Location: Pippa Passes, Kentucky.
Specialty: Liberal arts college with work-study program serving a 108-county area in rural Appalachia.
How to get in: Applicants must score at least a 17 on the ACT or 430 verbal and 400 math on their SAT. They must have at least a 2.25 GPA in pre-college curriculum courses.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 1,365 students who applied in 2007, 43% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $7,000.
Location: Berea, Kentucky.
Specialty: Liberal arts college with required work-study program.
How to get in: Most students score between 20 and 30 on the ACT or between 1410 and 1980 on the SAT. Applicants are expected to have a GPA of at least 3.0. The majority of applicants have limited financial resources and come from Appalachia.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 2,083 students who applied in 2007, 28% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $23,400.
Location: New York
Specialty: The academy, in its second year, prepares undergraduates to be math or science teachers in New York city’s public middle and high schools.
How to get in: The school looks for applicants who are strong in science and mathematics and want to become teachers. Applicants need a high overall GPA, as well as high scores on the SAT or ACT.
Percentage of students accepted: Out of the 400 students who applied in 2007, about 120 were accepted.
Location: Point Lookout, Missouri.
Specialty: Liberal arts college with required work-study program.
How to get in: Ninety percent of each entering class must demonstrate financial need. Students should be in the top half of their graduating class and have at least a 19 on the ACT or a 910 on the SAT.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 2,728 students who applied in 2007, 12% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $15,900
Location: New York
Specialty: Engineering, art, and architecture.
How to get in: Fine arts applicants need to submit a portfolio and complete a home test of six or seven projects. Architecture applicants are accepted based on their academic achievement and a home test evaluation. Engineering students are admitted based on their high school average, SAT scores, and other math or science exams.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 2,551 students who applied in 2007, 11% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $31,500.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Specialty: Music conservatory.
How to get in: The school seeks students with strong musical aptitude who want to pursue a professional music career. Students must submit an application and schedule an audition at the school.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 834 students who applied in 2007, 7% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $32,500.
Location: Deep Springs, California
Specialty: All-male liberal arts college located in a remote desert area with a focus on academics, labor, and self-governance.
How to get in: Applicants must take the SAT or ACT and complete a two-stage application.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 200 students who applied in 2007, about 7% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition (includes room and board): $50,000.
Location: Needham, Mass.
Specialty: Engineering school.
How to get in: The school looks for students with a strong calculus and physics foundation. Applicants are asked to take either the SAT or ACT, along with two SAT subject tests in math and science.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 1,054 who applied in 2007, 11% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $33,600.
- U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Location: Various
Specialty: Military, Air Force, Naval, and Coast Guard studies.
How to get in: Applicants must complete a physical fitness test, a medical examination, and either the SAT or ACT. In addition, applicants are required to obtain a congressional nomination from a member of the applicant’s state congressional delegation. Other requirements vary by school.
Percentage of students accepted: The U.S. Military Academy and Naval Academy each have acceptance rates between 14% and 15%, while the Air Force Academy accepts about 19% of its applicants and the Coast Guard Academy accepts 24%.
Estimated value of tuition: $187,000 over four years at the U.S. Military Academy. Students get an average monthly stipend of $800.
Location: Glen Cove, N.Y.
Specialty: Naval architecture and marine engineering.
How to get in: The school looks for applicants with a strong engineering background. Students must have at least a B average in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, as well as strong grades in other subjects. The average SAT score for students is 1370, out of 1600.
Percentage of students accepted: Of the 102 students who applied in 2007, 31% were accepted.
Estimated annual value of tuition: $28,000.
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/nov2007/pi20071113_819956_page_2.htm
[...] are 10 Tuition-Free Schools: some are in the Kentucky/Missouri area on farms that students must work on (but you graduate with [...]