College data resource

College Tuition by State 2026 - Compare All 50 States

This page compares average college tuition, net price after aid, and student outcomes for all 50 U.S. states plus territories - drawn from the federal College Scorecard dataset.

2026 state comparison

College tuition, net price and acceptance rates by state

Avg tuition

$20,438

Avg net price

$17,464

Avg acceptance

74.37%

State comparison path

Sort College Tuition by State, Net Price, Acceptance Rate and Salary

Use the sortable state table to find cheaper college markets, lower net price averages, stronger acceptance-rate options and salary-after-graduation signals before opening a state or school guide.

50 U.S. States + D.C.

Sort by tuition, net price, acceptance rate or salary. Expand a row for SAT/ACT, program coverage and cost-per-year details.

SAT data only Acceptance under 70%

California CA - 233 cities

Schools: 658
Avg net price: $19,695
Tuition: $21,843
Acceptance: 65.82%

658 $21,843 in-state $16,464 $19,695 65.82% $47,180

New York NY - 160 cities

Schools: 421
Avg net price: $18,893
Tuition: $23,991
Acceptance: 68.97%

421 $23,991 in-state $22,009 $18,893 68.97% $52,266

Texas TX - 125 cities

Schools: 407
Avg net price: $17,343
Tuition: $17,749
Acceptance: 74.68%

407 $17,749 in-state $13,891 $17,343 74.68% $40,717

Florida FL - 122 cities

Schools: 383
Avg net price: $19,834
Tuition: $19,354
Acceptance: 71.09%

383 $19,354 in-state $17,045 $19,834 71.09% $38,819

Pennsylvania PA - 162 cities

Schools: 328
Avg net price: $20,881
Tuition: $28,549
Acceptance: 75.87%

328 $28,549 in-state $25,837 $20,881 75.87% $50,651

Ohio OH - 142 cities

Schools: 283
Avg net price: $17,854
Tuition: $22,521
Acceptance: 69.92%

283 $22,521 in-state $19,440 $17,854 69.92% $42,842

Illinois IL - 114 cities

Schools: 238
Avg net price: $15,478
Tuition: $21,678
Acceptance: 73.86%

238 $21,678 in-state $18,264 $15,478 73.86% $44,156

North Carolina NC - 91 cities

Schools: 172
Avg net price: $14,661
Tuition: $18,127
Acceptance: 69.70%

172 $18,127 in-state $13,986 $14,661 69.70% $39,480

Michigan MI - 88 cities

Schools: 171
Avg net price: $16,178
Tuition: $21,404
Acceptance: 75.92%

171 $21,404 in-state $18,272 $16,178 75.92% $39,403

Georgia GA - 72 cities

Schools: 167
Avg net price: $16,729
Tuition: $16,174
Acceptance: 70.10%

167 $16,174 in-state $13,336 $16,729 70.10% $40,454

Virginia VA - 72 cities

Schools: 163
Avg net price: $17,997
Tuition: $21,737
Acceptance: 73.45%

163 $21,737 in-state $17,837 $17,997 73.45% $44,722

New Jersey NJ - 85 cities

Schools: 151
Avg net price: $17,613
Tuition: $19,811
Acceptance: 76.74%

151 $19,811 in-state $17,244 $17,613 76.74% $48,704

Tennessee TN - 62 cities

Schools: 151
Avg net price: $15,202
Tuition: $22,218
Acceptance: 70.42%

151 $22,218 in-state $18,529 $15,202 70.42% $40,487

Missouri MO - 64 cities

Schools: 149
Avg net price: $16,820
Tuition: $18,197
Acceptance: 75.76%

149 $18,197 in-state $16,198 $16,820 75.76% $43,879

Massachusetts MA - 75 cities

Schools: 146
Avg net price: $23,961
Tuition: $35,766
Acceptance: 64.71%

146 $35,766 in-state $33,218 $23,961 64.71% $59,612

Indiana IN - 58 cities

Schools: 138
Avg net price: $19,362
Tuition: $22,123
Acceptance: 77.30%

138 $22,123 in-state $17,863 $19,362 77.30% $44,969

Arizona AZ - 27 cities

Schools: 119
Avg net price: $19,498
Tuition: $15,703
Acceptance: 83.02%

119 $15,703 in-state $11,187 $19,498 83.02% $44,016

Louisiana LA - 35 cities

Schools: 116
Avg net price: $17,038
Tuition: $16,198
Acceptance: 71.99%

116 $16,198 in-state $13,463 $17,038 71.99% $35,774

Minnesota MN - 66 cities

Schools: 106
Avg net price: $17,382
Tuition: $16,796
Acceptance: 73.78%

106 $16,796 in-state $16,145 $17,382 73.78% $47,612

Washington WA - 43 cities

Schools: 105
Avg net price: $17,377
Tuition: $19,241
Acceptance: 80.51%

105 $19,241 in-state $14,907 $17,377 80.51% $49,730

Oklahoma OK - 53 cities

Schools: 103
Avg net price: $12,816
Tuition: $16,802
Acceptance: 76.79%

103 $16,802 in-state $12,390 $12,816 76.79% $37,183

South Carolina SC - 40 cities

Schools: 94
Avg net price: $16,137
Tuition: $20,877
Acceptance: 73.40%

94 $20,877 in-state $16,253 $16,137 73.40% $39,245

Colorado CO - 30 cities

Schools: 87
Avg net price: $17,389
Tuition: $20,883
Acceptance: 76.68%

87 $20,883 in-state $13,967 $17,389 76.68% $44,024

Wisconsin WI - 46 cities

Schools: 87
Avg net price: $17,077
Tuition: $21,704
Acceptance: 79.39%

87 $21,704 in-state $18,799 $17,077 79.39% $45,292

Kentucky KY - 44 cities

Schools: 86
Avg net price: $15,306
Tuition: $19,077
Acceptance: 77.94%

86 $19,077 in-state $16,834 $15,306 77.94% $37,712

Alabama AL - 44 cities

Schools: 83
Avg net price: $14,203
Tuition: $15,342
Acceptance: 70.08%

83 $15,342 in-state $11,083 $14,203 70.08% $40,411

Arkansas AR - 42 cities

Schools: 81
Avg net price: $14,015
Tuition: $12,186
Acceptance: 71.95%

81 $12,186 in-state $9,937 $14,015 71.95% $35,655

Kansas KS - 45 cities

Schools: 77
Avg net price: $15,518
Tuition: $15,359
Acceptance: 79.45%

77 $15,359 in-state $13,312 $15,518 79.45% $44,138

Maryland MD - 41 cities

Schools: 76
Avg net price: $16,580
Tuition: $22,659
Acceptance: 72.53%

76 $22,659 in-state $17,613 $16,580 72.53% $46,824

Oregon OR - 32 cities

Schools: 73
Avg net price: $18,521
Tuition: $25,043
Acceptance: 79.76%

73 $25,043 in-state $19,568 $18,521 79.76% $43,343

Iowa IA - 42 cities

Schools: 72
Avg net price: $17,049
Tuition: $25,484
Acceptance: 77.29%

72 $25,484 in-state $23,996 $17,049 77.29% $44,156

West Virginia WV - 41 cities

Schools: 68
Avg net price: $10,497
Tuition: $16,222
Acceptance: 82.60%

68 $16,222 in-state $11,953 $10,497 82.60% $38,019

Utah UT - 30 cities

Schools: 64
Avg net price: $17,750
Tuition: $17,232
Acceptance: 82.37%

64 $17,232 in-state $12,127 $17,750 82.37% $39,022

Connecticut CT - 31 cities

Schools: 62
Avg net price: $22,661
Tuition: $34,010
Acceptance: 63.62%

62 $34,010 in-state $29,412 $22,661 63.62% $57,659

Mississippi MS - 42 cities

Schools: 56
Avg net price: $13,421
Tuition: $10,904
Acceptance: 71.06%

56 $10,904 in-state $8,797 $13,421 71.06% $33,568

New Mexico NM - 23 cities

Schools: 42
Avg net price: $11,878
Tuition: $9,837
Acceptance: 69.03%

42 $9,837 in-state $5,471 $11,878 69.03% $38,821

Nebraska NE - 20 cities

Schools: 40
Avg net price: $16,962
Tuition: $17,659
Acceptance: 71.46%

40 $17,659 in-state $16,244 $16,962 71.46% $47,499

Nevada NV - 6 cities

Schools: 38
Avg net price: $22,191
Tuition: $18,019
Acceptance: 88.54%

38 $18,019 in-state $11,196 $22,191 88.54% $44,488

Maine ME - 28 cities

Schools: 37
Avg net price: $18,022
Tuition: $25,925
Acceptance: 68.00%

37 $25,925 in-state $21,700 $18,022 68.00% $48,436

Idaho ID - 15 cities

Schools: 36
Avg net price: $17,119
Tuition: $18,638
Acceptance: 80.26%

36 $18,638 in-state $12,741 $17,119 80.26% $34,305

New Hampshire NH - 19 cities

Schools: 31
Avg net price: $21,229
Tuition: $26,826
Acceptance: 79.23%

31 $26,826 in-state $21,316 $21,229 79.23% $52,735

Montana MT - 18 cities

Schools: 30
Avg net price: $13,344
Tuition: $15,346
Acceptance: 83.27%

30 $15,346 in-state $8,918 $13,344 83.27% $38,058

North Dakota ND - 17 cities

Schools: 26
Avg net price: $12,994
Tuition: $10,134
Acceptance: 72.81%

26 $10,134 in-state $8,968 $12,994 72.81% $42,678

South Dakota SD - 13 cities

Schools: 25
Avg net price: $16,583
Tuition: $14,211
Acceptance: 82.23%

25 $14,211 in-state $13,120 $16,583 82.23% $44,853

District of Columbia DC - 1 cities

Schools: 24
Avg net price: $26,516
Tuition: $29,635
Acceptance: 60.68%

24 $29,635 in-state $29,146 $26,516 60.68% $53,594

Rhode Island RI - 12 cities

Schools: 23
Avg net price: $26,706
Tuition: $36,965
Acceptance: 61.66%

23 $36,965 in-state $33,836 $26,706 61.66% $56,328

Hawaii HI - 9 cities

Schools: 22
Avg net price: $19,081
Tuition: $15,635
Acceptance: 78.34%

22 $15,635 in-state $10,391 $19,081 78.34% $43,532

Delaware DE - 10 cities

Schools: 19
Avg net price: $15,798
Tuition: $18,380
Acceptance: 66.09%

19 $18,380 in-state $12,362 $15,798 66.09% $43,524

Vermont VT - 14 cities

Schools: 16
Avg net price: $27,888
Tuition: $43,515
Acceptance: 58.93%

16 $43,515 in-state $39,417 $27,888 58.93% $48,623

Alaska AK - 7 cities

Schools: 10
Avg net price: $13,007
Tuition: $16,273
Acceptance: 76.15%

10 $16,273 in-state $10,976 $13,007 76.15% $43,318

Wyoming WY - 8 cities

Schools: 9
Avg net price: $12,619
Tuition: $12,353
Acceptance: 97.41%

9 $12,353 in-state $4,868 $12,619 97.41% $42,517

Territories and U.S.-Affiliated Institutions

These records are separated from the 50-state table so readers and search engines do not confuse U.S. states with territories or freely associated areas.

Puerto Rico 141 schools - avg net price $7,276 Guam 3 schools - avg net price $6,930 Marshall Islands 2 schools - avg net price $11,050 Virgin Islands 2 schools - avg net price $7,563 American Samoa 1 schools - avg net price $4,812 Micronesia 1 schools - avg net price $7,012 Northern Mariana Islands 1 schools - avg net price $2,795 Palau 1 schools - avg net price $2,810

Regional tuition analysis

Tuition Insights by Region

Northeast

Northeast states average $30,595 out-of-state tuition, $21,984 net price and 68.64% acceptance rate where reported.

Southeast

Southeast states average $18,606 out-of-state tuition, $16,262 net price and 71.54% acceptance rate where reported.

Midwest

Midwest states average $18,939 out-of-state tuition, $16,605 net price and 75.76% acceptance rate where reported.

Southwest

Southwest states average $15,023 out-of-state tuition, $15,384 net price and 75.88% acceptance rate where reported.

West

West states average $18,228 out-of-state tuition, $17,099 net price and 80.83% acceptance rate where reported.