Starting with the Class of 2031, students from families with incomes up to $175,000 and typical assets will pay no tuition at Middlebury; the move is part of the college’s new strategic plan and builds on existing need-based aid.
—has made strengthening our core and investing in our people our first priority," Baucom said in the press release.
"That begins with investing in our students and making college more deeply affordable.
The 4.0% increase brings tuition to $72,924, room and board to $20,920, and the Student Government Association fee to $542.
College leaders described the change as a way to make Middlebury more affordable and widen access. President Ian Baucom said, "Talent, drive, potential, who you are as a creative, curious, and world-asking individual—not financial means—should determine who receives a Middlebury education." The college credited donor support for enabling the program sooner than the strategic plan's initial timeline.
How this fits with existing financial aid
Middlebury already meets full demonstrated financial need for admitted students and has a history of substantial institutional aid. About 50% of students receive need-based financial aid. This year the college awarded nearly $80 million in institutional aid with an average grant of $66,000. Middlebury also purchases books and supplies for financial aid recipients and provides health insurance and laptops to higher-need students.
Cost of attendance and recent pricing
For 2026–27 the college set a comprehensive fee that brings total cost of attendance to $94,386: tuition $72,924, room and board $20,920, and a Student Government Association fee of $542. The college reported that its cost of attendance remains in the middle of its peer institutions.
Middlebury's Student Financial Services Office aims to ensure that enrolled students can fully participate in campus offerings regardless of financial background. The office works to make institutional aid portable for global experiential learning: institutional aid travels with students to about 40 overseas study locations.
Details about eligibility beyond the income cap (for example, what counts as "typical assets") and the application or verification process were not specified in the announcement. The tuition-free policy begins with the Class of 2031, so families and applicants should consult Middlebury's financial aid office or website for precise eligibility criteria, deadlines, and application steps.
Middlebury expanded its affordability measures by raising the income threshold for tuition-free attendance to $175,000 and will implement the program for incoming students in the Class of 2031. The change builds on the college's existing practice of meeting full demonstrated need and broad institutional aid programs aimed at reducing barriers to participation in academic and experiential opportunities.
Middlebury College says starting next year it will offer free tuition for most students from families with incomes of up to $175,000 a year.
Making less than $175,000? You could go to Middlebury College for free.
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Wellesley College will cover full tuition for families earning under $200,000 starting fall 2027, raising its $150,000 threshold to match Harvard and MIT. The post Wellesley Goes Tuition-Free At $200,000, Joining Harvard And MIT appeared first on The College Investor .
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