Which State Has the Cheapest Colleges?
Hint: It sure isn't Pennsylvania! What percentage of your income can you spend on your kid's college?
Can you afford to spend 13 percent of your income to send your child to college next year? How about 41 percent?
A new study ranking the states by college affordability reveals such a big variation in the tuition bills that it might be worthwhile for parents in Pennsylvania to move to Tennessee or Georgia.
Pennsylvania parents pay a higher share of their income—41 percent—for a year at an in-state public college than any other Americans. Jim Boyle, president of the College Parents of America, says that price is just too painful for most middle-class Americans. Even the national average—a year of college costs 28 percent of the typical family's income—is more than many parents can afford in these troubled times, he says.
But the report highlights a few states that are providing enough aid and charging low enough tuition so that students can study without bankrupting their parents.
Of course, as we've reported, price isn't everything. Some state schools, such as the University of Michigan, are expensive and top-notch. But many other state schools have earned low rankings because of their comparatively low graduation rates, faculty resources, and reputations.
And some fairly inexpensive state schools, such as the University of North Carolina, are ranked highly and have earned a spot on our Best Values list.
Here's the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education list, from cheapest to most expensive:
| STATE NAME | % of average family income needed to pay for one year tuition, fees, room and board at local public four-year university (after subtracting out financial aid) |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | 13% |
| Louisiana | 14% |
| Georgia | 15% |
| Wyoming | 15% |
| Florida | 18% |
| Arkansas | 20% |
| New Mexico | 21% |
| Utah | 21% |
| South Dakota | 22% |
| Mississippi | 23% |
| North Carolina | 23% |
| Arizona | 24% |
| Idaho | 24% |
| Alaska | 25% |
| Maryland | 25% |
| Oklahoma | 25% |
| South Carolina | 25% |
| West Virginia | 25% |
| Texas | 26% |
| Hawaii | 27% |
| Nebraska | 27% |
| Nevada | 27% |
| New York | 27% |
| California | 28% |
| Kansas | 28% |
| Kentucky | 28% |
| Connecticut | 29% |
| Missouri | 29% |
| Virginia | 29% |
| Colorado | 30% |
| Indiana | 30% |
| Minnesota | 30% |
| Wisconsin | 30% |
| Washington | 31% |
| Massachusetts | 32% |
| Montana | 32% |
| Iowa | 33% |
| Alabama | 34% |
| Michigan | 34% |
| New Jersey | 34% |
| North Dakota | 34% |
| Illinois | 35% |
| Maine | 36% |
| New Hampshire | 36% |
| Oregon | 36% |
| Rhode Island | 36% |
| Delaware | 37% |
| Ohio | 39% |
| Vermont | 39% |
| Pennsylvania | 41% |
| National average | 28% |
Reader Comments
University Cost Guide
I am an awaiting result graduate of Accting,wishing further study in a different environment.I will like to know how to go by it in the cheapest way.
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Education in the USA is never cheap. Community colleges are the only affordable post-high school education; however, most people can only complete the first two years of their degree there. I am from Texas. I am studying at a university in Spain because of the extremely cheap tuition. It costs me under 1,000 dollars a year. However, to do this, you usually have to speak fluently the language of the European country you wish to study in. My advice to international students is this: unless you're rich, study at a community college first in the USA and try to get state residence while studying there (you just have to prove that you have lived in the area for 1-2 years, not be a US citizen). Then apply to a university in the state. The university costs will still not be cheap, but they'll be much more affordable with in state residence.
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