Colleges are competing for students and their tuition dollars. Students should thus become more savvy consumers.

The nation’s most expensive college, the University of Chicago, costs $81,531 per academic year. Columbia costs $80,339. The total cost of one academic year at George Washington University is $79,760. Even state schools aren’t cheap. The University of Virginia estimates costs at $34,080 for Virginians and $68,610 for non-Virginians, while the University of Michigan estimates costs at $31,484 for Michigan residents and $66,698 for nonresidents.