Connecticut College in New London charged the highest tuition among U.S. private, nonprofit four- year schools in 2010-2011 at $43,990, according to a government list designed to help students shop for higher education.

Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, was second with tuition and fees of $43,564, the Education Department said on its website. The average annual tuition among private nonprofit schools was $21,949, the agency said.

As education loan debt has reached $1 trillion, surpassing the total Americans owe on credit cards, President Barack Obama has called on colleges and universities to rein in costs and make sure that students understand how much they’re spending and borrowing for school. The agency’s annual rankings also include public and for-profit colleges.

“Students need to know up front how much college will actually cost them instead of waiting to find out when the first student-loan bill arrives,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement. “These lists are a major step forward in unraveling the mystery of higher-education pricing.”

Pennsylvania State University’s main campus, located in State College, had the highest tuition among public colleges at $15,250. The University of Pittsburgh was second in the category at $14,936 annually.a