Cheapest Out-of-State Colleges in 34 States

(The Cheapest Out-of-State Colleges List has been updated for the latest data available in September of 2022.) Back when I was a freshman attending a rather large state university in Austin, Texas, I ran into quite a few students (relatively speaking) from the state of New York. They told me that they were attending college in Texas because our out-of-state tuition was cheaper than their in-state tuition. I only saw them that one year because the following year, the legislature raised out-of-state tuition and Texas was no longer as appealing to New Yorkers as it once was.

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That sort of situation isn’t as common today as it once was but it still happens. There are 22 public schools that have a total cost of attendance over $35,000, two are over $40,000. I suppose we should be grateful since this isn’t a change from the previous year’s data. Nonetheless, some students might consider lower cost out-of-state universities just to expand their list of affordable options.

Cheap Tuition isn’t What it Used to Be

Out-of-state tuition is a major concern of many foreign students who don’t qualify for in-state tuition in any state. The average total cost of attendance for out-of-state residents at public colleges is $37,875 for 2021-22, up from $37,580 in 2020-21. The number of public universities where the out-of-state cost is over $40,000, after dropping the previous year has once again increased from 170 to 180. The number charging $50,000 or more has increased as well from 55 to 59. Those with price tag over $60,000 holds steady at 14 but Berkeley and the University of Virginia have crossed the $70,000 threshold.

The number of state colleges with a total cost of attendance for in-state residents greater than $30,000 has increased from 79 to 88. However, I’m not quite ready to raise my cut-off for the cheapest colleges yet so it will remain at $33,000. There are 175 public universities with out-of-state total costs below this level which is actually an increase of 10 from the previous year. The number with prices under $26,000 for non-residents has declined only by 1 from 41 to 40 since last year.

States with the Most Public Colleges with the Cheapest Cost of Attendance

Wisconsin had the most colleges with a total cost of attendance of $33,000 or less with 11 schools. Minnesota and Oklahoma followed with 10 each and Missouri and Georgia had 9 schools. A total of 16 states didn’t have any schools that make the list of cheapest out-of-state colleges. Another 6 (up from 4 the previous year) have only one school on the list.

• Wisconsin
• Minnesota
• Oklahoma
• Georgia
• Missouri
• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Pennsylvania

Of schools with a total cost of attendance (out-of-state tuition and living expenses) less than $33,000, only 43, which is an increase from the previous year’s 38, qualified as 50-50 schools. These are schools that accept at least 50% of students and have at least a 50% graduation rate. A total of 17 states had schools that had out-of-state total cost less than $33,000 and met the 50-50 requirements. Not surprisingly, Wisconsin had the most with 9, followed by Minnesota with 6, and Pennsylvania with 5. A total of 89 of the colleges have at least a 40% five-year graduation rate and 42 have rates of 50% or better. The average national 4-year college graduation rate is 46.6% for all colleges and 42.4 for public institutions.

Other Cheapest Out-of-State Colleges Characteristics

The following are some other factors students use when selecting colleges. You can find this information and more on the DIY College Rankings Search Spreadsheet.

Size by Full-time Undergraduates

• 14 have more than 10,000
• 52 are in the Goldilocks‘ ranges of 5,000 to 10,000
• 109 are below 5,000

As in the case for most lists, the number of smaller colleges out-number the larger ones because there are just a lot more smaller colleges period. Of those under 5,000, 69 have 2,500 or fewer full-time undergraduates. The incredible number of small colleges overall represents the greatest diversity in academic, social, and financial opportunities.

Athletics

• 20 NAIA
• 11 NCAA FBS
• 32 NCAA FCS
• 6 NCAA D1
• 75 NCAA D2
• 16 NCAA D3

I know, all my diversity talk about small schools doesn’t really apply to Big Time College athletics. The fact that the NCAA Division 2 is the largest conference makes sense since we’re talking about the cheapest out-of-state colleges. The fact is that schools can and do charge students for having popular sports teams. It’s basic supply and demand.

Application Fees

• 14 $50 Plus
• 58 $30-$45
• 47 $10-$25
• 46 $0

The decrease in college application fees under COVID seems to be slowing. The number of schools charging $50 or more dropped from 15 to 14 while the second highest category held steady at 58. The number not listing any application fee charge increased from 41 to 56 and those in the next category actually decreased from 51 to 47.

Types of Colleges

Given the number of small colleges represented on the list it’s not surprising that 34 of the schools are Baccalaureate Colleges while 101 are Masters institutions. A total of 34 are Doctoral universities with 12 being Doctoral/Professional Universities and 22 classified as universities with high research activity.

The colleges are more likely to be located in towns or rural areas. However, 4 are in the Chicago area, 2 in New Orleans, 2 in Philadelphia, and 2 in Pittsburgh. At 22 of the schools less than 60% of freshman are considered in-state residents while at 51 schools 90% or more of freshman are in-state residents.

How to Avoid Paying Out-of-State Tuition

There are other ways to lower the cost of attending a public university out-of-state. If students live in one of the four regional tuition discount programs, they may be eligible for lower tuition. These programs allow students from member states to pay lower tuition rates. However, there are often limitations such as participating colleges and allowed majors. Students who live along state lines should check for any local tuition exchange programs. As for buying property or getting a job in a state to establish residency, this will all depend on the state.

Cheapest Out-of-State Colleges
(Total Cost of Attendance of $33,000 or Less)

Download PDF list with Acceptance Rates and Application Fees

 

Name	State	Full-time Under-graduate	Total price for out-of-state students 2021-22	Total price for in-state students 2021-22
Alabama A & M University	AL	4,910	$32,844	$24,234
Alabama State University	AL	3,411	$30,438	$22,110
Auburn University at Montgomery	AL	3,625	$31,218	$21,258
Jacksonville State University	AL	6,576	$32,353	$22,633
Troy University	AL	8,391	$32,289	$22,977
University of North Alabama	AL	5,391	$32,486	$22,886
University of South Alabama	AL	8,063	$31,224	$22,968
University of West Alabama	AL	2,088	$32,405	$23,305
Dine College	AZ	1,080	$12,700	$12,700
Arkansas State University	AR	6,387	$28,221	$22,653
Arkansas Tech University	AR	6,640	$27,157	$21,421
Henderson State University	AR	2,478	$29,302	$27,094
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus	AR	3,116	$30,002	$24,782
University of Arkansas at Monticello	AR	1,683	$26,053	$20,203
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff	AR	2,379	$28,618	$21,748
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith	AR	4,061	$29,400	$22,128
University of Central Arkansas	AR	7,655	$30,521	$23,651
Adams State University	CO	1,339	$32,050	$23,797
Clayton  State University	GA	4,129	$31,641	$20,919
College of Coastal Georgia	GA	2,017	$29,291	$22,385
Dalton State College	GA	3,164	$22,144	$15,238
Fort Valley State University	GA	2,427	$31,426	$20,704
Georgia Southwestern State University	GA	1,806	$31,518	$20,796
Middle Georgia State University	GA	5,392	$28,729	$21,382
Savannah State University	GA	2,827	$22,591	$17,414
University of North Georgia	GA	13,950	$32,270	$22,051
Valdosta State University	GA	7,741	$32,850	$21,795
Lewis-Clark State College	ID	2,361	$32,298	$19,042
Chicago State University	IL	1,269	$26,179	$26,179
Eastern Illinois University	IL	4,309	$28,170	$25,802
Governors State University	IL	2,039	$32,349	$24,837
Northern Illinois University	IL	11,151	$27,218	$27,218
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	7,465	$29,903	$29,903
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville	IL	8,748	$26,007	$26,007
Western Illinois University	IL	5,507	$27,400	$27,400
Purdue University Northwest	IN	5,582	$28,496	$21,605
University of Northern Iowa	IA	7,959	$32,109	$21,409
Emporia State University	KS	2,956	$29,330	$21,413
Fort Hays State University	KS	6,502	$29,804	$19,364
Haskell Indian Nations University	KS	724	$8,650	$8,650
Pittsburg State University	KS	4,467	$32,398	$21,054
Eastern Kentucky University	KY	9,614	$32,234	$21,962
Kentucky State University	KY	1,480	$21,858	$18,008
Morehead State University	KY	5,458	$27,758	$23,114
Louisiana State University-Alexandria	LA	2,308	$28,076	$20,937
Louisiana Tech University	LA	8,246	$30,786	$24,045
McNeese State University	LA	5,636	$32,252	$24,214
Nicholls State University	LA	5,215	$25,109	$24,016
Southern University and A & M College	LA	4,537	$31,833	$24,483
Southern University at New Orleans	LA	1,273	$30,530	$21,629
University of New Orleans	LA	5,524	$32,184	$27,348
University of Maine at Augusta	ME	1,643	$32,238	$21,378
University of Maine at Fort Kent	ME	629	$25,535	$21,125
University of Maine at Presque Isle	ME	844	$25,315	$20,905
Coppin State University	MD	1,665	$28,661	$22,136
Fitchburg State University	MA	3,112	$31,700	$25,620
Worcester State University	MA	4,122	$32,302	$26,222
Central Michigan University	MI	11,622	$26,370	$26,370
Eastern Michigan University	MI	10,150	$30,610	$30,610
Ferris State University	MI	7,654	$25,970	$25,970
Grand Valley State University	MI	19,102	$31,956	$26,220
Lake Superior State University	MI	1,535	$27,666	$27,666
Northern Michigan University	MI	6,015	$32,762	$27,266
Western Michigan University	MI	13,937	$31,281	$27,947
Bemidji State University	MN	2,967	$22,856	$22,856
Minnesota State University Moorhead	MN	3,701	$31,980	$23,884
Minnesota State University-Mankato	MN	11,075	$31,582	$22,528
Saint Cloud State University	MN	6,339	$31,157	$22,317
Southwest Minnesota State University	MN	1,733	$22,718	$22,718
University of Minnesota-Crookston	MN	1,154	$25,086	$25,086
University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	7,727	$31,492	$26,194
University of Minnesota-Morris	MN	1,171	$27,654	$25,562
University of Minnesota-Rochester	MN	561	$28,426	$28,426
Winona State University	MN	5,635	$29,494	$22,994
Alcorn State University	MS	2,498	$23,812	$23,812
Delta State University	MS	1,794	$21,774	$21,774
Jackson State University	MS	4,336	$26,326	$25,326
Mississippi University for Women	MS	2,357	$21,679	$21,679
Mississippi Valley State University	MS	1,332	$21,260	$21,260
University of Southern Mississippi	MS	9,726	$27,280	$25,280
Harris-Stowe State University	MO	1,094	$27,553	$22,921
Lincoln University	MO	1,495	$29,672	$22,682
Missouri Southern State University	MO	3,769	$26,875	$19,283
Missouri State University-Springfield	MO	13,502	$31,372	$23,168
Missouri Western State University	MO	3,180	$29,270	$22,745
Northwest Missouri State University	MO	5,080	$27,442	$21,375
Southeast Missouri State University	MO	7,318	$30,844	$24,274
Truman State University	MO	3,778	$30,523	$22,802
University of Central Missouri	MO	6,579	$29,940	$22,192
Montana State University-Northern	MT	788	$29,735	$17,025
Salish Kootenai College	MT	648	$22,503	$17,319
The University of Montana-Western	MT	1,053	$29,994	$18,530
Chadron State College	NE	1,502	$24,022	$23,992
Peru State College	NE	1,076	$19,060	$19,060
University of Nebraska at Kearney	NE	3,946	$30,552	$24,300
Wayne State College	NE	2,923	$20,822	$20,822
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus	NM	2,435	$21,950	$19,910
Navajo Technical University	NM	650	$15,510	$15,510
New Mexico Highlands University	NM	1,313	$25,552	$20,896
Western New Mexico University	NM	1,297	$30,019	$23,036
CUNY Hunter College	NY	14,789	$32,888	$24,938
SUNY College of Technology at Canton	NY	2,874	$30,187	$26,257
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	NY	2,484	$30,150	$26,380
United States Merchant Marine Academy	NY	1,047	$4,780	$4,780
Elizabeth City State University	NC	1,748	$18,425	$14,425
Fayetteville State University	NC	4,358	$29,234	$17,626
North Carolina A & T State University	NC	10,396	$32,122	$18,612
University of North Carolina at Pembroke	NC	5,327	$20,915	$16,915
Western Carolina University	NC	9,133	$23,018	$19,018
Dickinson State University	ND	1,046	$22,142	$20,322
Mayville State University	ND	643	$23,811	$20,677
Minot State University	ND	1,934	$19,806	$19,806
North Dakota State University-Main Campus	ND	9,657	$28,354	$23,879
University of North Dakota	ND	7,510	$29,205	$24,764
Valley City State University	ND	946	$24,790	$20,016
Central State University	OH	2,694	$22,442	$20,442
Shawnee State University	OH	2,680	$31,156	$25,114
University of Akron Main Campus	OH	11,126	$25,824	$25,824
Wright State University-Lake Campus	OH	880	$32,256	$22,838
Youngstown State University	OH	8,901	$24,672	$24,312
Cameron University	OK	2,547	$25,995	$16,575
East Central University	OK	2,713	$29,663	$20,303
Langston University	OK	1,844	$28,089	$20,709
Northeastern State University	OK	4,631	$27,765	$19,125
Northwestern Oklahoma State University	OK	1,375	$26,448	$19,330
Oklahoma Panhandle State University	OK	1,141	$15,527	$14,783
Rogers State University	OK	2,479	$32,195	$23,855
Southeastern Oklahoma State University	OK	2,614	$27,066	$18,126
Southwestern Oklahoma State University	OK	3,493	$29,823	$22,713
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma	OK	681	$30,060	$19,200
California University of Pennsylvania	PA	4,173	$32,144	$27,526
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania	PA	576	$30,368	$25,102
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania	PA	2,861	$31,572	$27,054
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	PA	6,488	$31,838	$27,730
Lincoln University	PA	1,743	$32,902	$26,546
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania	PA	1,554	$27,724	$25,158
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania	PA	4,906	$30,056	$29,328
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	PA	7,085	$29,087	$24,979
Black Hills State University	SD	1,906	$25,200	$22,100
Dakota State University	SD	1,574	$25,957	$22,855
Northern State University	SD	1,183	$26,597	$23,495
Oglala Lakota College	SD	757	$15,534	$15,534
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology	SD	1,668	$31,130	$26,710
South Dakota State University	SD	8,055	$26,126	$22,616
University of South Dakota	SD	4,937	$27,367	$23,857
East Tennessee State University	TN	9,591	$29,192	$25,890
The University of Tennessee-Martin	TN	4,878	$28,372	$22,332
University of Memphis	TN	12,848	$30,461	$26,429
Angelo State University	TX	5,538	$32,558	$22,766
Midwestern State University	TX	4,199	$26,304	$24,354
Tarleton State University	TX	9,050	$32,078	$22,286
Texas Woman’s University	TX	8,074	$32,673	$22,881
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	TX	27,799	$32,170	$22,378
University of Houston-Victoria	TX	1,856	$31,931	$22,139
West Texas A & M University	TX	5,600	$26,212	$24,206
Dixie State University	UT	7,646	$31,768	$20,644
Weber State University	UT	13,514	$32,108	$21,692
Bluefield State College	WV	1,065	$30,169	$22,971
Concord University	WV	1,465	$31,928	$22,178
Fairmont State University	WV	3,019	$30,172	$20,914
Glenville State College	WV	1,146	$25,894	$24,266
Shepherd University	WV	2,384	$32,947	$22,507
West Liberty University	WV	1,921	$32,053	$24,104
West Virginia State University	WV	1,600	$30,778	$25,090
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	WI	9,732	$29,487	$21,212
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	WI	5,174	$28,107	$19,889
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	WI	9,100	$26,932	$18,113
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	WI	8,178	$27,764	$20,191
University of Wisconsin-Parkside	WI	3,124	$28,143	$19,873
University of Wisconsin-Platteville	WI	6,185	$29,413	$20,774
University of Wisconsin-River Falls	WI	4,947	$26,469	$18,896
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	WI	6,720	$28,017	$19,313
University of Wisconsin-Stout	WI	5,762	$29,040	$20,773
University of Wisconsin-Superior	WI	1,730	$27,313	$19,740
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	WI	9,305	$28,092	$19,220