Expensive Colleges - Ivies vs. Arts Institutes

Recently saw this piece in the Washington Post stating that 'the most expensive colleges aren't Ivies'. I'm a little surprised. Can anyone shed some light on why arts schools are potentially pricier than Ivy Leagues?

Arts schools may appear to be more expensive than Ivy Leagues for several reasons. First, some arts schools such as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago or Berklee College of Music are private, non-profit institutions, just like Ivy League schools. However, these schools often do not carry the same huge endowments that Ivy League schools have accumulated over many decades or even centuries. These endowments allow Ivy League schools, for example, to provide more financial aid to students, thus reducing their net price.

Additionally, Ivy Leagues have larger student bodies, more diverse academic offerings, and larger revenues from research grants, all of which can offset costs and help keep tuition down. Comparatively, many arts schools have a focused curriculum around their specifics arts and are more hands-on, requiring more resources per student for materials and faculty (ratio of faculty to student is often lower), which may drive up the costs.

Lastly, Ivy Leagues often have a "no-loan" policy for families under a certain income bracket, which can significantly decrease the cost for those families. This isn't as common for arts schools, meaning the sticker price might actually be what a good number of students are paying.

That said, it's important to remember that the sticker price is not the end-all-be-all, and you should definitely use each school's net price calculator to determine what your family might pay after financial aid. You may find that the actual amount you end up paying is less than what is initially quoted.