Need-blind admission

Eleven U.S. higher education institutions are need-blind towards all applicants. These institutions meet full demonstrated need for all applicants, including international students.^[2] These are:

• Amherst College^[3]
• Bowdoin College^[4]
• Brown University^[5] (Brown will be need-blind for international students beginning with the Class of 2029.)
• Dartmouth College^[6]
• Georgetown University^[7]
• Harvard University^[8]
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology^[9]
• Princeton University^[10]
• University of Notre Dame^[11] (During his Inauguration speech on September 13, 2024, President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. announced the expansion of its need-blind policy to all applicants - adding international students - beginning with the Class of 2029)
• Washington and Lee University^[12]
• Yale University^[13]

A number of U.S. institutions of higher learning both offer need-blind admissions, and meet the full demonstrated need for all students, but are need-aware when it comes to international student admissions. However, all admitted students will have their demonstrated need met, although in some colleges, primarily public colleges, such aid may only be offered for students who either require financial aid or are under specific geographical demographics. For instance, College of William & Mary and University of Michigan are public research universities that meet the full need of qualifying in-state students (residents of Virginia and Michigan, respectively) but don't meet the full need of out-of-state or international students. The following schools fall into this category:

Many reputable institutions that once championed need-blind policies have modified their policies due to rising costs as well as subpar endowment returns. Such institutions include prestigious colleges that do not offer merit-based aid but promise to meet 100% of financial need (mostly through grants). These stated institutions refer to themselves as "need-aware" or "need-sensitive," with policies that detract from their ability to admit and educate all qualified candidates but allow them to meet the full need of all admitted students who qualify for financial aid (many institutions extend this policy to all students).^[71]

For instance, at Macalester College, Mount Holyoke College and Smith College, at least 95% of students are admitted without financial need being a factor, but a slim percentage, generally students who are waitlisted or who have borderline qualifications, are reviewed in consideration of the college's projected financial resources. All three colleges grant all admitted students financial aid packages meeting 100% of need.^[72] At Wesleyan University, attempted shifts to a "need-aware" admission policy have resulted in protests by the school's student body.^[73]

Some institutions only meet the full need for students who are domestic US residents and/or are eligible for US federal financial aid, as proven by the applicant's FAFSA and CSS profile. A few only meet the full need of students under specific demographics who are considered "economically disadvantaged" and may not be guaranteed to meet the full need of other students. Do note that some colleges don't state their financial aid admissions policy, so they're sorted into the need-aware category. The following schools fall into this category:

Some schools have a need-blind admissions policy but do not guarantee to meet the full demonstrated financial need of the students they admit. The following schools fall under this category:

The following institutions are need-aware and aren't guaranteed to meet the full need of the students they admit in any capacity:

• Georgetown University in Qatar^[115]
• Yale-NUS College, Singapore (formerly)^[116][117]
• New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates^[118]

In the United States, schools with large financial aid budgets—typically private, college-preparatory boarding schools—tend to offer either need-blind admission or a commitment to meet the full demonstrated need of the U.S. citizen students that they admit (as determined by the schools' respective financial aid departments). Certain schools have also introduced income-based thresholds for free tuition.

• Both (1) need-blind and (2) aid covering full demonstrated need (if admitted): Phillips Academy (Andover),^[119] Phillips Exeter Academy,^[120][121] Roxbury Latin School,^[122] St. Albans School,^[123] Woodberry Forest School^[124]
• Need-blind: Gonzaga College High School,^[125] Greenhill School,^[126] Groton School,^[127] Horace Mann School,^[128] Hun School of Princeton,^[129] 'Iolani School,^[130] Wayland Academy,^[131] Stanford Online High School^[132]
• Aid covering full demonstrated need (if admitted): Belmont Hill School,^[133] Buckingham Browne & Nichols School,^[134] Choate Rosemary Hall,^[135] Concord Academy,^[136] Deerfield Academy,^[137] Hotchkiss School,^[138] Lawrenceville School,^[139] Madeira School,^[140] Noble and Greenough School,^[141] Northfield Mount Hermon School,^[142] St. Andrew's School,^[143] St. Paul's School^[144]
• Free tuition under a certain income threshold: Deerfield Academy ($150,000),^[137] Groton School ($150,000),^[127] Nueva School ($150,000),^[145] Phillips Exeter Academy ($125,000),^[146] Brearley School ($100,000)^[147]

• 568 Group, an association of colleges practicing need-blind admission
• College admissions in the United States
• Transfer admissions in the United States