05/29/2025
I highly recommend taking a look at this list when you start looking at colleges. Jeff Selingo has gone through tons of data so families can see which schools are most likely to provide merit aid for your student. Given the ever-increasing costs of college, it's a great idea to see where you can save!
As parents and students finalize plans for their college tours this summer, I thought it might be a good time to reshare the Buyers and Sellers list I developed while writing “Who Gets In and Why.” This list provides essential data on more than 500 colleges and universities, and a snapshot of the chances for receiving merit aid.
The list is meant as a rough cut. The sellers are the “haves” of admissions. They are overwhelmed with applications, many from top students. They don’t need to buy students with tuition discounts. Most sellers offer financial assistance only to students who really need it or are truly exceptional.
The buyers are the “have-nots” in terms of admissions—although they might provide a superior undergraduate experience. Rather than “select” a class, their admissions officers must work hard to recruit students and they must discount tuition through merit aid to fill classroom seats and beds in dorm rooms.
The list is not developed using a precise mathematical formula nor should you think of it as a binary system. Rather it’s best to consider this an initial sort of colleges when it comes to how they deploy financial aid, either as a discount (buyers) or for financial need (sellers). Use this list to educate yourself about all the factors.
Download the list and let me know if it’s helpful! https://jeffselingo.com/which-colleges-are-really-buyers-and-which-are-sellers/
