The financial resources of the Little Ivies are generally strong, though there is significant variation. Total endowments range from several billion dollars at the wealthiest institutions, such as Williams with about $3.65 billion and Amherst with about $3.55 billion, to around $0.14 billion at Sarah Lawrence. Several colleges have endowments between $1 billion and $2.5 billion, including Swarthmore at $2.73 billion, Middlebury at $1.60 billion, Wesleyan at $1.58 billion, and Colgate at about $1.3 billion.

A key measure is endowment per student, which shows the financial support available for each individual. Here, the top Little Ivies compare well with the Ivies. Amherst and Swarthmore have about $1.65 to $1.7 million per student in endowment, while Williams has around $1.6 million. Bowdoin is also high at $1.27 million per student. In contrast, schools like Hamilton ($0.62 million), Colby (about $0.50 million), Vassar (around $0.48 million), and Wesleyan (approximately $0.43 million) have lower but still substantial per-student endowments. The least funded, Sarah Lawrence, has under $0.1 million per student, highlighting its smaller endowment. Despite these differences, nearly all these colleges are well-resourced liberal arts institutions that can invest significantly in financial aid, facilities, and academic programs.

Large endowments result in generous financial aid and strong institutional support. Many Little Ivies are need-blind, and most promise to meet 100% of demonstrated need, though a few are need-aware or less generous. For instance, both Williams and Amherst meet full need without loans, allowing families below certain income levels to pay no tuition. Because of this, student debt levels at graduation are low. Forbes reports Amherst’s median graduate debt is only about $13,000, often by choice, compared to a national average of around $30,000. Many of these colleges appear in lists of the lowest student debt. All of them invest considerable resources in grants; for example, Williams spends over $65,000 per year on average for each aided student in scholarships, while Amherst spends over $68,000.

Endowment spending plays a crucial role in financial aid. Little Ivies with the largest per-student endowments, like Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore, usually offer the most generous aid and the lowest net prices. In 2023–24, the average net price after aid was about $20,000 to $22,000 at Amherst, Swarthmore, Williams, and Bowdoin. Even Colby, which has a newer endowment fueled by campaigns, had an average net cost of around $17,000, thanks to very large aid packages with average need-based grants over $70,000. In contrast, schools with smaller endowments or those that focus more on merit aid, like Connecticut College and Lafayette, show higher average net prices for families, ranging from about $32,000 to $43,000.

It is important to note that some Little Ivies, like Amherst, Bowdoin, Bates, and Colgate, do not offer merit scholarships, focusing solely on need-based support. Others do provide merit aid to attract top students. For instance, Trinity College and Connecticut College offer substantial merit scholarships, averaging around $61,000 for Trinity and about $31,000 for Conn College for those who qualify. Lafayette, Union, Middlebury, Wesleyan, and others also use merit awards, averaging $15,000 to $22,000, to make education more affordable for high-achieving students who may not qualify for need-based aid. Overall, the combination of strong financial support and aid commitments makes these schools more affordable than their stated prices, which can be between $85,000 and $95,000 per year. These generous resources support not only financial aid but also outstanding facilities, low student-faculty ratios, and rich academic opportunities across the Little Ivies.

NACUBO–TIAA Study of Endowments (official endowment figures)
https://www.nacubo.org/Research/2023-NTSE
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
College Scorecard (U.S. Dept. of Education)
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
Forbes – Colleges With the Least Student Debt
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/colleges-least-student-debt/
Institutional Financial Aid & Endowment Pages (examples)
‍Amherst: https://www.amherst.edu/admission/financial_aid
‍Williams: https://www.williams.edu/admission-aid/financial-aid/