Here are the 25 most expensive colleges for 2008-2009, based on total cost (tuition + room and board), as compiled by CampusGrotto.com. Whooie, this is some pricey book-learnin’.

Highest Total Cost 2008-2009

College | Total Cost
1. Sarah Lawrence College | $53,166
2. George Washington University | $50,312
3. New York University | $50,182
4. Georgetown University | $49,689
5. Connecticut College | $49,385
6. Bates College | $49,350
7. Johns Hopkins University | $49,278
8. Skidmore College | $49,266
9. Scripps College | $49,236
10. Middlebury College | $49,210
11. Carnegie Mellon University | $49,200
12. Boston College | $49,020
13. Wesleyan University | $49,000
14. Colgate University | $48,900
15. Claremont McKenna College | $48,755
16. Vassar College | $48,675
17. Haverford College | $48,625
18. University of Chicago | $48,588
19. Union College (NY) | $48,552
20. Colby College | $48,520
21. Mount Holyoke College | $48,500
22. Tufts University | $48,470
23. Bard College at Simon’s Rock | $48,460
24. Franklin & Marshall College | $48,450
25. Bard College | $48,438

No thanks, I prefer my in-state tuition and debt-free-at-25 method of matriculation. But if you do have to go into debt, there’s an educated way to go about. This post talks about how you to maximize the lower-interest, i.e. federal, ones first before you go into those private student loans. Incidentally, if you do get a federal student loan and you end up having a problem or question about it, the FSA ombudsman is a good place to start to get it resolved.

However, if you, like many, get a private student loan, be sure to shop around first. Don’t just go with the list of “preferred lenders” provided by your bursar’s office. Sometimes, as State Attorneys General have discovered, banks and lenders will essentially pay colleges to get on those lists, and placement isn’t for those with the best terms for students, but those with the best goodies for the administrators printing out those lists.

Most Expensive Colleges for 2008-2009 [CampusGrotto] (Photo: Getty)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.