With Rush Week back in the spotlight, here is the real price tag of joining a sorority

As Rush Week kicked off this month, the recruitment process is drawing renewed attention, fueled by the viral "RushTok" trend on TikTok and pop culture portrayals of Greek life, including the HBO documentary "Bama Rush" and Lifetime's "A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush!"

"Costs and expectations have increased with the viral exposure coming from TikTok, TV shows and documentaries," said Michael Ayalon, CEO and founder of Greek University, a Tennessee-based speaking and consulting business for fraternities and sororities.

"On the one hand, it has made recruitment more transparent and even accessible," Ayalon told Fox News Digital.

The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) is the governing body for 26 national women's sororities, including most of the big-name Greek chapters at U.S. colleges, like Alpha Chi Omega and Delta Gamma. 

To rush a NPC sorority, hopefuls pay non-refundable registration fees, according to university and National Panhellenic Conference websites. 

If accepted, students must then pay new member dues, according to university websites. At Alabama, active-member dues can be more than $5,000 per semester. 

Clemson University has new member costs of about $820. Lehigh University in Pennsylvania has new member fees of more than $1,600. UCLA has new member dues as high as $1,700.

The average new-member cost at the University of Oklahoma is $4,605, up nearly 25% from 2021, The Oklahoman recently reported.

The numbers continue to rise with the addition of housing and yearly dues. 

At the University of Oklahoma, the average cost of living in the sorority house is over $12,200. 

At Alabama, it can cost upwards of $15,000 to dorm in the sorority house.

Recruitment preparation has become its own industry with coaches, stylists, and social media strategists charging up to $5,500, The Cut recently reported. 

Extra costs can run up the bill another $1,000. If girls arrive on campus early, they might have to pay early move-in fees clocking in at $180 per week. 

They are also recommended to bring emergency kits filled with items like personal fans, blotting powder, compact mirrors, deodorant and electrolyte powder, which can tack on $100.

"It can involve dances, skits, dressing a certain way, interviews, resumes, recommendation letters, touring each sorority house, and suffering through a mutual selection [ranking] process," he told Fox News Digital.

Ayalon warned that unchecked costs can make sororities more socioeconomically exclusive, fostering status-driven cultures linked to hazing and unhealthy environments.

"Affiliated women tend to have higher retention and graduation rates," Ayalon added. 

For those deterred by price, there are more affordable paths. 

Some organizations offer scholarships, grants, payment plans and lower-cost options like Continuous Open Bidding, which skips rush-week wardrobes and early move-in fees, Ayalon said. 

Others limit decorations and event spending through "No-Frills Recruitment" or offer shared wardrobes and clothing swaps.