The Most Affordable Four-Year College in Each State

From the mid-1990s to 2024, tuition and fees increased by more than 100% at public four-year institutions and almost doubled at private four-year institutions.

However, tuition has dipped slightly at both public and private colleges in the last few school years — possibly in response to widespread concerns about the cost of higher education. That’s good news for prospective students, but college tuition remains pricey.

Because affordability is one of the most important things you may be looking for in a college, we’ve compiled a list of the most economical four-year schools in each state.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 80% of bachelor’s degree students receive some level of financial support from their families, with 21% of parents contributing more than $10,000 to their child’s education. Scholarships and grants also help students cover tuition.

Education lender Sallie Mae reports that around 51% of all American students receive federal grants, increasing to 88% for historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs) enrollees. Around 40% of full-time students and 80% of part-time learners also work for income.

Besides completing the U.S. Department of Education’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you can employ the following strategies to reduce your out-of-pocket costs for college.

For priority consideration, the cut-off date for submitting the FAFSA is June 30. Don’t miss that deadline. Find out the deadlines for other scholarships and grants you want to apply for and try to beat those target dates.

You may discover that some donors have an early action deadline that can move you to the head of the line for aid consideration.

In general, in-state public universities are much cheaper than private colleges. NCES reports that for the 2022-2023 school year, the average undergraduate student at a four-year, in-state public university paid $27,146 while their counterpart at a private university spent $58,628 — more than twice as much.

Community colleges are even more affordable than public universities. NCES reports that in 2022-2023, the average community college charged $3,598 in tuition and required fees, while in-state, four-year schools charged $9,750.

Some community colleges are 100% tuition-free for qualifying students and programs.

Many students know about federal grants, loans, and military benefits, but you may not have heard that many states also offer need-based grants and merit-based scholarships.

Talk to your high school counselor or the financial aid office at your college of interest about how your state can help you pay for higher education.

You can shorten your time to graduation and save money through prior learning assessment (PLA). If you earned advanced placement credits from high school, undertook military service, or enrolled in employer training programs, you can submit your experience for credit evaluation.

CLEP and DSST can also qualify for PLA.

For-profit colleges are owned by large corporations that invest heavily in massive marketing campaigns, so you might feel tempted to enroll in one of these schools. However, for-profit institutions frequently have abysmal student success rates and charge far higher prices than most traditional colleges and universities.

Stick with nonprofit schools that can help you get to and through college efficiently and affordably.

Attending college online can save you a bundle on fees, housing, and transportation costs while allowing you to work — and earn money — at the same time. Many public universities offer in-state tuition rates to out-of-state students learning online, and private colleges may charge more affordable fees for online learners.

Yes, online college can be cheaper than traditional, in-person programs. According to NCES, tuition and fees for online bachelor’s degree programs are, on average, around $4,500 less per year than in-person degree programs.

The financial benefits of online college extend beyond the price tag. You can live at home instead of on campus, saving you money on groceries and rent. You can also maintain a job more easily, earning the cash you need to pay your expenses.

Caveat: Online college is not automatically cheaper than in-person learning because college costs are derived from many other factors, including a school’s reputation, funding sources, endowments, and student services.

Public colleges almost always charge lower tuition per credit than private institutions, but cheaper fees don’t necessarily mean you are saving money. Private colleges typically grant more generous financial aid packages than public schools. That’s why it’s essential to evaluate your choices carefully using more metrics than just the sticker price.