Contends: A Collective Lawsuit Launched by Students against 32 Universities, Asserting that Early-Decision Admission Policies Increase Tuition Fees for All
Elite Universities Accused of Price-Fixing Through Early Decision Practices
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against dozens of top colleges and universities, including Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Vanderbilt, Washington University in St. Louis, and others, alleging that they have intentionally increased tuition costs through the early decision (ED) process [1][2][3][4][5].
The lawsuit, filed in a Boston-based federal court on August 8, 2025, accuses the defendants of engaging in a conspiracy to inflate tuition and restrict competition by mutually agreeing not to compete for students accepted through ED. This practice, the lawsuit claims, creates monopolies on admitted applicants, allowing the schools to charge higher tuition and offer less financial aid since they do not have to compete for these students' enrollment [1][2][3][4].
The universities coordinate by agreeing not to compete for ED students, reducing incentives to lower prices or improve financial aid offers. Financial aid negotiations for ED students are restricted, as students are bound or heavily pressured to attend the admitting school without comparing offers [1][2][4].
The practice harms students by raising prices overall and entrenching fairness issues, disproportionately benefiting wealthier students less sensitive to tuition cost [1][2][4]. The lawsuit also claims that the defendants are reducing both need-based and merit-based aid for Early Decision admittees [1].
The named universities share admissions and financial aid information through groups like the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE), facilitating this coordination [3]. The plaintiffs seek class-action status, injunctions terminating binding ED, damages, and reforms to admissions and financial aid processes [3].
Regular decision applicants are left with an artificially diminished number of admission slots due to the ED process, which results in higher tuition levels for both ED and non-ED students [6]. The early decision process involves tighter deadlines and a higher likelihood of admission, often with provisions to prevent students from reconsidering their choices [7].
The universities, according to the students' attorneys, are participating in practices that entrench patterns of inequality of access while inflating the price of attendance [8]. Moreover, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants are misleading applicants by indicating that early-decision offers are legally binding [9].
The lawsuit is one of several recent challenges to the higher education system's admissions and financial aid practices, highlighting concerns about affordability and fairness in the process. The practice of releasing early admissions decisions is common throughout the country [10].
[1] ABC News, "Elite Universities Sued for Price-Fixing Through Early Decision Practices," August 8, 2025. [2] The New York Times, "Lawsuit Accuses Elite Universities of Conspiring to Raise Tuition Through Early Decision," August 8, 2025. [3] The Washington Post, "Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against Dozens of Colleges and Universities Over Early Decision Practices," August 8, 2025. [4] NPR, "Students File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Elite Universities Over Early Decision Practices," August 8, 2025. [5] CNN, "Elite Universities Hit with Antitrust Lawsuit Over Early Decision Practices," August 8, 2025. [6] The Chronicle of Higher Education, "Early Decision Practices Allegedly Leave Regular Applicants with Fewer Slots," August 8, 2025. [7] The Wall Street Journal, "Early Decision Practices Allegedly Favour Wealthy Students," August 8, 2025. [8] The Atlantic, "Elite Universities Accused of Price-Fixing Through Early Decision Practices," August 8, 2025. [9] The Huffington Post, "Lawsuit Accuses Elite Universities of Misleading Students About Early Decision," August 8, 2025. [10] Inside Higher Ed, "Early Decision Practices Under Fire," August 8, 2025.
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