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News

Colleges That Received the Highest Amounts in Pell Grants and Federal Student Loans for Undergraduates, by Sector, 2014-15

Almanac 2017 August 13, 2017

The University of Phoenix-Arizona received more than $1.1 billion in federal aid in the form of Pell Grants and federal student loans for undergraduates, more than any other institution, in the academic year 2014-15. Liberty University, a religious institution in Virginia, received the second-highest amount of such aid, at nearly $350 million. For-profit institutions had the highest median percentages of students receiving both Pell Grants and federal student loans, as well as the highest median loan amounts. Four-year private nonprofit institutions had the highest median Pell Grant award per student.

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The University of Phoenix-Arizona received more than $1.1 billion in federal aid in the form of Pell Grants and federal student loans for undergraduates, more than any other institution, in the academic year 2014-15. Liberty University, a religious institution in Virginia, received the second-highest amount of such aid, at nearly $350 million. For-profit institutions had the highest median percentages of students receiving both Pell Grants and federal student loans, as well as the highest median loan amounts. Four-year private nonprofit institutions had the highest median Pell Grant award per student.


Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store.


4-year public institutions

RankInstitutionUndergraduatesAwarded Pell GrantsAverage Pell Grant awardAwarded federal student loansAverage federal student-loan awardTotal Pell Grant and federal student-loan aid
1. Florida International U. 41,009 55% $3,780 64% $7,895 $294,196,843
2. U. of Central Florida 52,671 39% $3,978 44% $7,115 $246,062,004
3. Texas State U. at San Marcos 32,177 35% $4,224 53% $8,855 $198,578,970
4. Miami Dade College 66,046 53% $3,934 9% $6,950 $178,425,871
5. Rutgers U. at New Brunswick 36,016 31% $4,353 52% $6,828 $177,062,046
6. Temple U. 28,287 34% $4,151 65% $7,206 $171,766,680
7. Ohio State U. 44,741 21% $4,138 43% $6,807 $169,990,296
8. Arizona State U. 39,961 31% $4,237 43% $6,743 $169,451,453
9. U. of South Florida 30,155 41% $4,330 46% $8,141 $166,339,314
10. Michigan State U. 38,786 22% $4,329 45% $7,326 $165,102,085
Median for 707 institutions 6,676 37% $4,163 50% $6,771 $31,911,355

4-year private nonprofit institutions

RankInstitutionUndergraduatesAwarded Pell GrantsAverage Pell Grant awardAwarded federal student loansAverage federal student-loan awardTotal Pell Grant and federal student-loan aid
1. Liberty U. 49,340 50% $3,691 67% $7,806 $347,198,083
2. Everest U.-South Orlando Campus (Fla.) 22,340 79% $5,483 65% $9,934 $242,491,086
3. Western Governors U. 44,499 37% $3,876 60% $5,145 $200,380,914
4. Southern New Hampshire U. 29,353 44% $2,791 67% $7,469 $183,399,195
5. Baker College of Flint 27,101 63% $3,212 67% $6,617 $175,622,927
6. Keiser U. at Ft. Lauderdale 17,737 68% $2,888 76% $5,624 $110,808,678
7. Brigham Young U.-Idaho 36,624 40% $4,043 26% $4,891 $106,159,526
8. Columbia College (Mo.) 15,639 54% $3,617 56% $7,612 $96,892,803
9. New York U. 24,985 22% $4,545 38% $7,482 $95,429,931
10. Johnson & Wales U. (R.I.) 9,173 36% $4,362 79% $10,980 $93,864,339
Median for 1,606 institutions 1,219 33% $4,189 59% $7,376 $5,755,349

4-year for-profit institutions

RankInstitutionUndergraduatesAwarded Pell GrantsAverage Pell Grant awardAwarded federal student loansAverage federal student-loan awardTotal Pell Grant and federal student-loan aid
1. U. of Phoenix-Arizona 155,872 57% $3,976 54% $8,855 $1,100,657,835
2. Ashford U. 45,348 57% $3,644 68% $7,209 $315,892,876
3. Grand Canyon U. 39,400 48% $5,074 64% $8,025 $297,973,802
4. Kaplan U. at Davenport (Iowa) 38,784 63% $3,747 59% $7,201 $255,878,378
5. Colorado Technical U. Online 18,669 72% $3,735 89% $7,521 $175,338,761
6. Full Sail U. 17,318 56% $4,420 60% $10,936 $157,053,589
7. DeVry U. of Illinois 18,264 62% $2,885 78% $8,154 $149,464,043
8. American Public U. system 46,997 31% $3,088 30% $7,289 $147,012,079
9. U. of Phoenix-California 19,688 49% $3,881 44% $9,832 $121,446,253
10. American InterContinental U. Online 10,544 78% $3,943 91% $8,213 $111,125,733
Median for 686 institutions 427 66% $3,793 75% $8,137 $3,486,528

2-year public institutions

RankInstitutionUndergraduatesAwarded Pell GrantsAverage Pell Grant awardAwarded federal student loansAverage federal student-loan awardTotal Pell Grant and federal student-loan aid
1. Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana 90,426 49% $3,828 30% $4,300 $286,415,174
2. Houston Community College 58,276 39% $3,479 22% $5,743 $153,768,129
3. Lone Star College system 69,395 33% $3,420 18% $4,387 $134,104,404
4. Hillsborough Community College 27,298 44% $4,055 53% $5,799 $132,112,626
5. Portland Community College 30,929 44% $3,788 40% $6,236 $128,822,524
Median for 918 institutions 4,571 39% $3,735 17% $5,141 $10,180,912

2-year private nonprofit institutions

RankInstitutionUndergraduatesAwarded Pell GrantsAverage Pell Grant awardAwarded federal student loansAverage federal student-loan awardTotal Pell Grant and federal student-loan aid
1. Ultimate Medical Academy at Tampa 20,645 79% $3,921 33% $5,848 $103,753,778
2. Harcum College 1,588 59% $4,240 80% $7,400 $13,366,245
3. Lackawanna College 1,347 67% $4,033 89% $7,483 $12,610,906
4. Mercyhurst U. Northeast 953 66% $4,427 95% $8,534 $10,491,226
5. Saber College 834 81% $4,752 78% $11,071 $10,411,658
Median for 107 institutions 341 60% $3,892 62% $6,789 $2,214,947

2-year for-profit institutions

RankInstitutionUndergraduatesAwarded Pell GrantsAverage Pell Grant awardAwarded federal student loansAverage federal student-loan awardTotal Pell Grant and federal student-loan aid
1. San Joaquin Valley College at Visalia 8,169 75% $4,342 61% $9,305 $72,961,552
2. McCann School of Business & Technology 3,015 82% $4,640 89% $9,642 $37,434,342
3. ASA Institute of Business and Computer Technology 4,519 76% $4,704 64% $6,524 $35,005,126
4. Vista College 2,951 85% $4,719 76% $9,240 $32,527,612
5. ICDC College 5,186 71% $3,207 57% $6,182 $30,257,464
Median for 561 institutions 406 71% $3,909 73% $7,395 $3,271,707

Note: Pell Grants go to eligible students with demonstrated financial need. Federal student loans include all Title IV subsidized and unsubsidized loans for which the student is the designated borrower, but they do not include PLUS and other loans made directly to parents. Not included in this table are grants (aside from Pell Grants) and scholarship aid from federal, state, local, institutional, and other sources known to the institution. Data cover only degree-granting institutions in the United States that are eligible to participate in the Title IV federal student-aid program.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data

A version of this article appeared in the August 18, 2017, issue.
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