Tuition and Fees by State
Published tuition and fees vary widely across states and sectors.
Key Takeaways
Public Two-Year Colleges:
- The lowest community college prices are in California, where average tuition and fees for full-time students in 2008-09 are $634. Public two-year colleges in New Mexico and North Carolina also charge less than $1,500.
- The highest public two-year tuition and fees in 2008-09 are $5,509 in New Hampshire and $5,830 in Vermont.
- In 2008-09, public two-year college tuition remained at its 2007-08 level in New Hampshire and Ohio and increased by less than 1% in Alabama, California, and New Mexico.
- The largest percentage increases in public two-year college tuition in 2008-09 were 12.8% in Florida, 12.6% in Hawaii, and 12.3% in Nevada. The largest dollar increase was $330 (6.6%) in Vermont.
Public Four-Year Colleges:
- The lowest in-state public four-year tuition and fees are $3,621 in Wyoming (and $1,857 in Puerto Rico). Average prices in the Florida and the District of Columbia are also under $4,000.
- The highest in-state public four-year tuition and fees in 2008-09 are $11,341 in Vermont. Average published prices in Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are also over $10,000.
- Published tuition and fees at public four-year institutions in the District of Columbia, Montana, and Ohio increased by less than 1% in 2008-09. Published prices in Maryland and New York increased by by 1%.
- The larges percentage increase in published in-state four-year college tuition in 2008-09 was 16.4% in Hawaii, where the $5,842 price remains $743 below the national average. The largest dollar increase was $915 in Illinois.
Private Four-Year Colleges:
- The small number of private not-for-profit four-year colleges in Idaho, Puerto Rico, and Utah charge average tuition and fees below $6,000. Average published tuition and fees at private institutions in Delaware, Hawaii, Mississippi, and North Dakota are also below $15,000.
- The highest private four-year published tuition and fees in 2008-09 are $32,592 in Massachusetts. Average published prices in California, Colorado, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia are also above $30,000.
- The smallest percentage increase in published tuition and fees at private institutions in 2008-09 was 3% in Nevada. Prices in the District of Columbia, Idaho, Mississippi, and West Virginia increased by less than 5%. Average published prices increased by less than $700 in Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, and Utah.
- The largest percentage increase in published tuition and fees at private four-year institutions in 2008-09 was 12.9% in North Dakota, where prices are among the lowest in the country. The largest dollar increase was $2,163 in New Mexico.
Public Two-Year In-State |
Public Four-Year In-State |
Private Four-Year |
||||||||
Region |
State |
2008-09 |
2007-08 |
% Change |
2008-09 |
2007-08 |
% Change |
2008-09 |
2007-08 |
% Change |
| New England | Connecticut | $2,984 | $2,828 | 5.5% | $8,035 | $7,574 | 6.1% | $31,914 | $30,234 | 5.6% |
| Maine | $3,156 | $3,120 | 1.2% | $8,059 | $7,334 | 9.9% | $28,859 | $27,364 | 5.5% | |
| Massachusetts | $3,887 | $3,694 | 5.2% | $8,184 | $7,887 | 3.8% | $32,592 | $30,941 | 5.3% | |
| New Hampshire | $5,609 | $5,609 | 0.0% | $10,296 | $9,698 | 6.2% | $29,860 | $28,263 | 5.7% | |
| Rhode Island | $3,090 | $2,846 | 8.6% | $7,722 | $7,221 | 6.9% | $29,620 | $28,047 | 5.6% | |
| Vermont | $5,830 | $5,500 | 6.0% | $11,341 | $10,485 | 8.2% | $29,886 | $28,176 | 6.1% | |
| Middle States | Delaware | $2,631 | $2,422 | 8.6% | $8,276 | $7,808 | 6.0% | $13,130 | $12,402 | 5.9% |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | $3,770 | $3,770 | 0.0% | $31,265 | $29,837 | 4.8% | |
| Maryland | $3,339 | $3,252 | 2.7% | $7,395 | $7,314 | 1.1% | $29,812 | $28,256 | 5.5% | |
| New Jersey | $3,596 | $3,387 | 6.2% | $10,739 | $9,974 | 7.7% | $28,377 | $26,808 | 5.9% | |
| New York | $3,672 | $3,547 | 3.5% | $5,126 | $5,076 | 1.0% | $29,148 | $27,518 | 5.9% | |
| Pennsylvania | $3,360 | $3,234 | 3.9% | $10,328 | $9,792 | 5.5% | $28,900 | $27,256 | 6.0% | |
| Puerto Rico | — | — | — | $1,857 | $1,786 | 4.0% | $5,207 | $4,800 | 8.5% | |
| South | Alabama | $2,827 | $2,809 | 0.6% | $5,925 | $5,244 | 13.0% | $15,669 | $14,669 | 6.8% |
| Florida | $2,291 | $2,031 | 12.8% | $3,792 | $3,386 | 12.0% | $23,411 | $22,264 | 5.2% | |
| Georgia | $2,312 | $2,120 | 9.1% | $4,464 | $4,181 | 6.8% | $22,972 | $21,560 | 6.5% | |
| Kentucky | $3,630 | $3,450 | 5.2% | $6,799 | $6,279 | 8.3% | $19,105 | $17,956 | 6.4% | |
| Louisiana | $1,957 | $1,915 | 2.2% | $4,078 | $3,830 | 6.5% | $26,013 | $24,694 | 5.3% | |
| Mississippi | $1,761 | $1,709 | 3.0% | $4,936 | $4,757 | 3.8% | $13,398 | $12,798 | 4.7% | |
| North Carolina | $1,387 | $1,341 | 3.4% | $4,416 | $4,306 | 2.6% | $23,590 | $22,082 | 6.8% | |
| South Carolina | $3,346 | $3,235 | 3.4% | $9,127 | $8,371 | 9.0% | $19,743 | $18,641 | 5.9% | |
| Tennessee | $2,776 | $2,632 | 5.5% | $5,684 | $5,365 | 5.9% | $20,647 | $19,518 | 5.8% | |
| Virginia | $2,804 | $2,561 | 9.5% | $7,596 | $7,008 | 8.4% | $22,256 | $21,145 | 5.3% | |
| Midwest | Illinois | $2,601 | $2,440 | 6.6% | $10,014 | $9,099 | 10.1% | $25,001 | $23,555 | 6.1% |
| Indiana | $3,164 | $3,003 | 5.4% | $7,223 | $6,875 | 5.1% | $26,200 | $24,810 | 5.6% | |
| Iowa | $3,517 | $3,331 | 5.6% | $6,435 | $6,218 | 3.5% | $23,493 | $22,221 | 5.7% | |
| Kansas | $1,993 | $1,928 | 3.4% | $6,141 | $5,746 | 6.9% | $18,125 | $17,125 | 5.8% | |
| Michigan | $2,453 | $2,329 | 5.3% | $9,079 | $8,499 | 6.8% | $17,810 | $16,920 | 5.3% | |
| Minnesota | $4,568 | $4,446 | 2.7% | $8,251 | $7,798 | 5.8% | $27,323 | $25,560 | 6.9% | |
| Missouri | $2,589 | $2,505 | 3.4% | $7,198 | $6,845 | 5.2% | $21,860 | $20,649 | 5.9% | |
| Nebraska | $2,250 | $2,155 | 4.4% | $5,949 | $5,581 | 6.6% | $18,433 | $17,424 | 5.8% | |
| North Dakota | $3,596 | $3,455 | 4.1% | $6,110 | $5,803 | 5.3% | $13,192 | $11,682 | 12.9% | |
| Ohio | $3,516 | $3,515 | 0.0% | $8,482 | $8,462 | 0.2% | $25,020 | $23,719 | 5.5% | |
| South Dakota | $3,919 | $3,596 | 9.0% | $5,748 | $5,343 | 7.6% | $19,581 | $18,447 | 6.1% | |
| West Virginia | $2,452 | $2,345 | 4.6% | $4,705 | $4,406 | 6.8% | $16,836 | $16,097 | 4.6% | |
| Wisconsin | $3,430 | $3,270 | 4.9% | $6,800 | $6,413 | 6.0% | $23,799 | $22,540 | 5.6% | |
| Southwest | Arkansas | $2,298 | $2,138 | 7.5% | $5,928 | $5,599 | 5.9% | $15,633 | $14,722 | 6.2% |
| New Mexico | $1,150 | $1,143 | 0.6% | $4,514 | $4,248 | 6.3% | $28,128 | $25,965 | 8.3% | |
| Oklahoma | $2,678 | $2,486 | 7.7% | $5,618 | $4,993 | 12.5% | $18,573 | $17,249 | 7.7% | |
| Texas | $1,716 | $1,649 | 4.1% | $6,894 | $6,450 | 6.9% | $22,286 | $20,774 | 7.3% | |
| West | Alaska | $3,032 | $2,894 | 4.8% | $4,642 | $4,425 | 4.9% | $21,587 | $20,069 | 7.6% |
| Arizona | $1,818 | $1,686 | 7.8% | $5,577 | $4,959 | 12.5% | $21,637 | $20,432 | 5.9% | |
| California | $634 | $633 | 0.2% | $5,346 | $4,951 | 8.0% | $31,613 | $29,846 | 5.9% | |
| Colorado | $2,565 | $2,459 | 4.3% | $5,916 | $5,435 | 8.9% | $30,208 | $28,699 | 5.3% | |
| Hawaii | $2,191 | $1,946 | 12.6% | $5,842 | $5,017 | 16.4% | $11,124 | $10,426 | 6.7% | |
| Idaho | $2,249 | $2,092 | 7.5% | $4,613 | $4,382 | 5.3% | $5,886 | $5,614 | 4.8% | |
| Montana | $2,893 | $2,770 | 4.4% | $5,335 | $5,302 | 0.6% | $19,803 | $18,379 | 7.7% | |
| Nevada | $1,980 | $1,763 | 12.3% | $4,395 | $3,948 | 11.3% | $22,978 | $22,305 | 3.0% | |
| Oregon | $3,368 | $3,222 | 4.5% | $6,238 | $5,946 | 4.9% | $28,142 | $26,654 | 5.6% | |
| Utah | $2,556 | $2,444 | 4.6% | $4,298 | $4,059 | 5.9% | $5,288 | $4,976 | 6.3% | |
| Washington | $2,962 | $2,879 | 2.9% | $6,379 | $5,986 | 6.6% | $27,509 | $25,772 | 6.7% | |
| Wyoming | $2,018 | $1,922 | 5.0% | $3,621 | $3,554 | 1.9% | — | — | — | |
— Data are insufficient to report.
Notes: Data on individual states should be interpreted with caution because of the possible impact of reporting errors and missing data on states with small numbers of institutions. In Colorado, all state residents enrolled in public institutions and selected private institutions are eligible for tuition vouchers from the College Opportunity Fund. The tuition figures reported here are based on prices that include the voucher amount, but not all institutions reported this information in a consistent manner.
Download Excel for this table.
Download Excel for all tables.
This table was prepared in October 2008.
Notes: Data on individual states should be interpreted with caution because of the possible impact of reporting errors and missing data on states with small numbers of institutions. In Colorado, all state residents enrolled in public institutions and selected private institutions are eligible for tuition vouchers from the College Opportunity Fund. The tuition figures reported here are based on prices that include the voucher amount, but not all institutions reported this information in a consistent manner.
Download Excel for this table.
Download Excel for all tables.This table was prepared in October 2008.