College is a popular path for many students after high school, but the road to the first lecture hall can be long and winding. Understanding the realities, and differences, between “need-blind” and “need-aware” schools, will help bring you one step closer to making an informed decision about which colleges to apply to, and ultimately attend.
What does “Need Blind” Mean?
In short, need-blind colleges do not take your family’s financial situation into consideration during the application process, need-aware ones do. So if for instance, you need 50% of your total tuition covered, in theory, a need-blind college like USC will not hold that against you, need-aware ones like Northeastern and Brandeis might.
Once you are accepted, need-blind colleges will generally create an aid package to meet your “demonstrated financial needs” based on your FAFSA®. These usually include a mix of loans, grants, and scholarships, which don’t necessarily amount to 100% of your tuition. Some colleges tend to provide more aid than others, and some students receive more depending on how much the college wants them to enroll. Need-aware colleges, on the other hand, don’t always offer the same aid services, even if students have already been accepted.
How it Affects You
College is a popular path for many students after high school, but the road to the first lecture hall can be long and winding. Understanding the realities, and differences, between “need-blind” and “need-aware” schools will help bring you one step closer to making an informed decision about which colleges to apply to, and ultimately attend.
What does “Need Blind” Mean?
In short, need-blind colleges do not take your family’s financial situation into consideration during the application process, need-aware ones do. So if for instance, you need 50% of your total tuition covered, in theory, a need-blind college like USC will not hold that against you, need-aware ones like Northeastern and Brandeis might.
Once you are accepted, need-blind colleges will generally create an aid package to meet your “demonstrated financial needs” based on your FAFSA®. These usually include a mix of loans, grants, and scholarships, which don’t necessarily amount to 100% of your tuition. Some colleges tend to provide more aid than others, and some students receive more depending on how much the college wants them to enroll.
Need-aware colleges, on the other hand, don’t always offer the same aid services, even if students have already been accepted.
How it Affects You
Does that mean if you require financial aid then you shouldn’t apply to need-aware colleges? Not at all. Those colleges, like all others, take a wide variety of factors into account when looking at an application, needing aid will be one among them. That being said, the distinction is made for a reason, so keep it in mind when it comes to which colleges you apply to and choose to attend.
Your finances should be an important factor you take into consideration when making this decision. Many students take on loads of debt and then find themselves being unable to pay it. You might as well lean towards colleges that give more aid if that’s what you need given your financial situation.
The colleges aren’t necessarily better or worse, they’re just in a position that allows them to help students out a little more, and you can take advantage of that.
Controversy
The degree to which colleges who say they are need-blind actually follow that policy is debated. Many don’t extend that privilege to international students, those on waitlists, or transfer students, and a number even require some kind of “proof of funds” along the application process which seems eerily suspicious. Some have even gone as far as to argue that need-blind is an outright lie. If colleges were genuinely blind to the financial needs of their applicants and prospective students, they would run the risk of a fluctuating tuition revenue every year. There is no way to plan for future projects and budgets without a predictable tuition inflow, so it makes no sense colleges wouldn’t take finances into account. It’s just not a sustainable model.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s up to you to decide where you apply and attend, but financial aid should be a major consideration in that decision. The difference between need-blind and need-aware, if you choose to hold colleges to their word, can mean the difference between an acceptance and rejection letter. It can also influence financial position during and after college. Take a look at the list of need-blind and need-aware colleges to get a good idea of what kind of college best fits your needs.
List of Need Blind Schools:
| University | Designation | Demonstrated Needs met | U.S. Student | International Student |
| National University of Singapore | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| New York University, Abu Dhabi | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| University of Richmond | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Yale-NUS College, Singapore | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Amherst College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Cornell University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Georgetown University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Harvard College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Minerva Schools at KGI | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Pomona College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Princeton University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Thomas Aquinas College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| University of Southern California | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Yale University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | Yes |
| Barnard College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Boston College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Bowdoin College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Brown University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| California Institute of Technology | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Claremont McKenna College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| College of the Holy Cross | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Columbia College, Columbia University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Dartmouth College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Davidson College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Duke University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Grinnell College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Hamilton College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Harvey Mudd College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Haverford College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Johns Hopkins University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Middlebury College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Northwestern University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Olin College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Rice University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Soka University of America | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Stanford University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Swarthmore College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| University of Chicago | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| University of Michigan | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| University of Notre Dame | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| University of Pennsylvania | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| University of Virginia | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Vanderbilt University | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Vassar College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Wellesley College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Williams College | Needs Blind | 100% | Yes | No |
| Cooper Union | Needs Blind | 50% of tuition | Yes | No |
| New York University | Needs Blind | 60% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| Baylor University | Needs Blind | 65% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | Yes |
| Texas Christian University | Needs Blind | 66% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| University of San Diego | Needs Blind | 71% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| Boston University | Needs Blind | 85% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Needs Blind | 85% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| Southern Methodist University | Needs Blind | 85% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| University of Miami | Needs Blind | 89% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | Yes |
| Denison University | Needs Blind | 90% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| Bucknell University | Needs Blind | 91% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| Syracuse University | Needs Blind | 93% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | No |
| Tulane University | Needs Blind | 96% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | Yes |
| Babson College | Needs Blind | 97% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | Yes |
| Adrian College | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| Chapman University | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| University of New Hampshire | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| University of Vermont | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| University of Washington | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| Ursuline College | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| Yeshiva University | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| St. John’s College (Annapolis/Santa Fe) | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | Yes |
| Earlham College | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | No |
| Fordham University | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | No |
| Hampshire College | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | No |
| Ithaca College | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | No |
| Saint Louis University | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | No |
| Santa Clara University | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | No |
| St. John’s University | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | No |
| St. Lawrence University | Needs Blind | Unknown | Yes | No |
List of Need Aware Schools:
| University | Designation | Demonstrated Needs met | U.S. Student | International Student |
| Bates College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Bryn Mawr College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Carleton College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Case Western Reserve University | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Colby College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Colgate University | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Colorado College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Connecticut College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Franklin and Marshall College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Kenyon College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Lafayette College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Macalester College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Mount Holyoke College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Oberlin College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Occidental College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Reed College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Scripps College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Skidmore College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Smith College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Trinity College | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Tufts University | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Union College (Schenectady, New York) | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| University of Rochester | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Washington University in St. Louis | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Wesleyan University | Needs Aware | 100% | Yes | No |
| Trinity University | Needs Aware | 93% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | Unknown |
| Whitman College | Needs Aware | 93% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | Unknown |
| Lehigh University | Needs Aware | 97% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | Unknown |
| St. Olaf College | Needs Aware | 98% of demonstrated need on average | Yes | Unknown |
| Abilene Christian University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Agnes Scott College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| American University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Auburn University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Bard College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Beloit College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Bennington College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Berklee College of Music | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Berry College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Bradley University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Brandeis University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Centre College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Clark University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Clemson University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| College of Wooster | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Creighton University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| DePaul University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| DePauw University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Furman University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| George Washington University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Gettysburg College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Hampton University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Hofstra University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Howard University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Johnson & Wales University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Loma Linda University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Loyola Marymount University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Loyola University Chicago | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Loyola University New Orleans | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Marquette University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Northeastern University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Pepperdine University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Quinnipiac University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Rhode Island School of Design | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Rhodes College (meets 93% of need) | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Rollins College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Sarah Lawrence College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Seton Hall University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Sewanee: The University of the South | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Southwestern University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Spelman College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| The Catholic University of America | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| The New School | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| University of California, San Diego | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| University of Dayton | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| University of Denver | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| University of Puget Sound | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| University of San Francisco | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| University of St. Thomas | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| University of Tulsa | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Villanova University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Wabash College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Wheaton College | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Willamette University | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Needs Aware | Unknown | Yes | Unknown |