GW’s tuition was ranked the nation’s fourth, though the college was kept off the list of priciest colleges overall, according to Department of Education data updated Thursday.

Students paid $44,148 in tuition for the 2011-2012 school year, about $1,000 less than the school with the No. 1 highest tuition, Columbia University.

The newly released data also revealed that GW students paid an average of 13 percent more than the previous year after receiving grants and scholarships, though tuition increased by only 2.9 percent over that time.

The previous year, GW’s net price barely budged — increasing 3 percent for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Tuition at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College and Vassar College all cost more than GW’s.

Since being dubbed the nation’s most expensive college in 2007, the University has attempted to quell concerns about its steep price tag, highlighting its fixed-tuition program for returning students.

GW’s total sticker price – including tuition, room and board – tallies $58,488 for freshmen entering this fall.

But GW has continued to draw flak as one of the priciest schools. Former University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg also made a splash last year when he said he was “not sorry” for increasing tuition to attract wealthier students and fueling a college tuition “arms race.”

The University’s “rich kid reputation” was also the center of a thorny Washington Post story, though it also doles out an average of $18,495 in need based aid.

The data is updated on the Department of Education’s website each year, mandated by the Higher Education Act.