As high school juniors and seniors begin the college search, they may assume that any public college in the country would be affordable when compared to private colleges – but that’s not necessarily the case. Yes, colleges within your own state will be reasonably priced; but if you plan to attend a public college in a state in which you do not reside, it can be just as expensive as some of those private colleges.
Many public colleges charge out-of-state tuition prices to students that are not residents of that specific state. In fact, according to a study by the College Board, the average tuition cost for undergraduates to attend a four-year public college for the 2019-2020 academic year was $26,820 – about two and a half times more than the average cost of in-state tuition of $10,440.
And that’s just tuition and fees. Throw room and board costs on top of that and attending an out-of-state public college could cost you quite a bit.
However, for those students desiring a taste of another part of the country, there are colleges out there that offer a very reasonable price to students who live outside of that particular state. BestColleges.com ranked the 50 colleges with the lowest out-of-state tuition. The rankings only considered not-for-profit public and private schools with more than 900 students enrolled. Check out the top ten cheapest U.S. colleges with out-of-state tuition:
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- Chadron State College Location: Chadron, Nebraska
- Oklahoma Panhandle State University Location: Goodwell, Oklahoma
- Minot State University Location: Minot, North Dakota
- Southern University at New Orleans Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Mississippi Valley State University Location: Itta Bena, Mississippi
- Peru State College Location: Peru, Nebraska
- New Mexico Highlands University Location: Las Vegas, New Mexico
- Delta State University Location: Cleveland, Mississippi
- Dickinson State University Location: Dickinson, North Dakota
- West Texas A&M University Location: Canyon, Texas
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $5,760 per year
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Average Out-of-State Tuition: $6,739 per year
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $6,086 per year
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $4,911
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $5,916 per year
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $6,188 per year
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $6,382 per year
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $6,562 per year
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $8,495 per year (though tuition is not the lowest; all in costs are)
Average Out-of-State Tuition: $7,538 in tuition per year
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