College data resource

Compare College Tuition, Aid & Net Price by State (2026)

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.

Direct Answer Signal / Core Definition

What Is Average College Tuition by State?

College tuition by state is the average annual instructional cost charged by postsecondary institutions within a specific U.S. jurisdiction. State tuition is divided into In-State Tuition (discounted resident rate subsidized by state taxes) and Out-of-State Tuition (non-resident rate). Evaluating state averages alongside Average Net Price (out-of-pocket cost after grants/aid) helps prospective families identify affordable geographic higher education markets.

Who This Directory Is For

• High school seniors evaluating out-of-state vs in-state options
• Families relocating to establishing legal state residency
• Community college transfer applicants seeking affordable public systems
• Higher education researchers comparing state financial aid effectiveness

Official Data Sources

State-level aggregate metrics are compiled directly from federal education data:

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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% Not reported

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.

State College Tuition FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions: College Tuition by State

Which U.S. state has the lowest average college tuition?

States in the South and Midwest, such as Wyoming, Florida, and North Carolina, often report the lowest average in-state public tuition rates. However, net price after financial aid varies significantly based on family income and state grant availability.

What is the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition by state?

In-state tuition is a discounted rate reserved for legal state residents funded by state tax subsidies. Out-of-state tuition applies to non-residents and is typically 2x to 3x higher than the resident rate at public universities.

How do state financial aid programs impact average net price?

State-funded merit and need-based scholarship programs (such as Florida Bright Futures or Georgia HOPE) directly lower average net price, reducing out-of-pocket costs well below the official published tuition fee.

Can out-of-state students qualify for in-state tuition rates?

Out-of-state students may qualify for in-state rates through regional tuition compacts (such as the Western Undergraduate Exchange - WUE or Midwest Student Exchange), military status, or by establishing legal state residency.

How is average 10-year salary calculated by state?

Average 10-year earnings reflect the median post-graduation salary reported by former students 10 years after initial enrollment per U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.