Accurate Forbes list of most expensive colleges?

Forbes often releases lists of the most expensive colleges. Anyone know how accurate these are? Would love some insight because if they're reliable, they could really help with my school search.

Forbes and similar publications compile their lists of the most expensive colleges based on data reported by the colleges themselves, typically through surveys such as the Common Data Set. The information includes costs such as tuition, fees, room and board, and other related expenses. While these costs are standardized across students, it's important to remember that many students will not pay the full sticker price due to financial aid, scholarships, or other forms of support.

That said, while these lists can give a good estimate of the total cost before financial aid, they do not account for the cost to individual students after these discounts. Therefore, your final cost may be substantially different than the amount mentioned by Forbes.

To get a more accurate estimate of what your cost would be, you'll want to use a Net Price Calculator, which every school is required to have on their website. These calculators ask for information about your family's income and other financial details and will give you an estimate of what your cost of attendance, including living expenses and travel, would look like after grants and scholarships.

However, bear in mind that these calculators require detailed financial information and their accuracy varies from school to school. So, while Forbes can give you a good sense of the highest list price, your actual cost may be quite different and Net Price Calculators could provide a more accurate individual estimate.