Students Filing Lawsuits Against 32 Universities, Alleging that Early Decision Admission Policies Increase Tuition Fees for All Students
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against several top U.S. colleges, alleging that they have conspired to inflate tuition prices through their Early Decision (ED) admissions processes, in violation of federal antitrust law[1][2][4][5].
The lawsuit, filed in August 2025, names 32 elite private universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Washington University in St. Louis, and others[1]. The plaintiffs argue that these schools colluded not to compete for students admitted through Early Decision, a binding agreement that prevents students from comparing financial aid offers or seeking better deals elsewhere[1][2][4].
Participation in the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE), a group where these schools share admissions and financial aid information, is said to have facilitated this alleged collusion[1][4]. The lawsuit claims that because ED applicants are considered price-insensitive, schools have less incentive to offer generous need- or merit-based financial aid, thus raising the overall costs for all students[3].
The complaint includes data showing the rise of Early Decision correlates with sharply increasing tuition prices over the past few decades, outpacing general inflation and educational cost inflation indices, suggesting ED contributes significantly to tuition inflation nationally[3].
The plaintiffs seek class-action status, an injunction to end binding Early Decision agreements, financial damages, and reforms in admissions and financial aid policies[1]. All named universities, including Penn, Brown, WashU, and others, have publicly denied wrongdoing and intend to defend against the lawsuit[2][4].
The lawsuit includes former students from Wesleyan University and two other schools as plaintiffs[1]. Both Early Decision and non-Early Decision students pay higher prices due to the alleged conspiracy in the Early Decision scheme[1]. Early decision applicants face lower acceptance rates compared to regular decision applicants[2].
The practice of releasing early admissions decisions is common throughout the country[2]. Students who choose early decision face tighter deadlines and are more likely to be admitted, with admission offers often including provisions to prevent reconsideration[2].
The lawsuit alleges that the defendant universities are violating federal antitrust law by limiting competition for early decision students[1]. The plaintiffs argue that these practices are harmful to all university applicants, regardless of when they submit their applications[2]. The lawsuit was filed in a Boston-based federal court[1].
The number of admission slots available to regular decision applicants is artificially diminished due to early decision practices[1]. Early decision applicants lose their choice and negotiation leverage compared to regular decision applicants[1]. The lawsuit claims that colleges use early decision-related commitments to raise the cost of attendance for all students[1].
Benjamin Brown, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, stated that these practices are harmful to all university applicants, regardless of when they submit their applications[2]. The lawsuit highlights how these practices entrench patterns of inequality of access while inflating the price of attendance[2].
- The ongoing class-action lawsuit against several top U.S. colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and Washington University in St. Louis, alleges that their collusion in the Early Decision admissions process, facilitated by the Consortium on Financing Higher Education, violates federal antitrust law and inflates tuition costs nationwide, impacting both Early Decision and regular applicants.
- The lawsuit, filed in a Boston-based federal court in August 2025, argues that the defendants' Early Decision practices limit competition, artificially reduce the number of admission slots for regular decision applicants, and raise the cost of attendance for all students by preventing negotiation and competition for financial aid offers, thereby harming education-and-self-development and general-news interests.
