There is no doubt that college fees have always been a huge burden for students and families across the country. In the past few years, the cost of a college in the United States has nearly tripled over the last four decades, and things are not slowing down.
The fees of the colleges are increasing rapidly, especially during the inflation that makes everything more expensive.
But have you ever wondered what the facts, figures, and numbers are to draw a clear picture of the financial landscape of college fees and the trend that has changed over the past few years?
Well don’t worry in this article we have shared everything you need to know about college costs, the average Cost of College by Region, trends in College Costs Over Time, and most importantly the average cost of college by the university and many more.
So let’s get started without any further delay.
Key Statistics of Average Cost of College
- Average Total Cost of Private Colleges: $50,900. (Chegg)
- Two-year public colleges have a total college cost of $17,580. (Value Penguin)
- The cost of college recorded in the private four-year college is $50,900. (NCES)
- The average cost of public colleges in the United States is $9,970 for in-state tuition and $25,620 for out-of-state tuition, not including room and board. (Value Penguin)
- The average tuition among the 10 most expensive states for public universities is $15,542. (Education Data Initiative)
- The average tuition among the states with the most reasonably priced public universities is $6,660. (Education Data Initiative)
- The average first-time, full-time student borrows more than $7,709 in federal loans to attend school. (Education Data Initiative)
- The majority of students pay between $6,000 and $15,000 in tuition for both public and private schools in the United States. (Value Penguin)
- New England has the highest tuition cost for both two-year and four-year public schools, with an average of $5,370 and $12,990, respectively. (College Vine)
- The tuition cost of an in-state public college is $9,970, while that of an out-of-state public college is $34,740. (Chegg)
- According to data from CollegeBoard, the average private school tuition was $43,350 per year during the 2024-2025 school year. ( Business Insider)
Trends in College Costs Over Time Statistics
- Public two-year in-district tuition averages $4,050, up $100 (2.5%).
- Private nonprofit four-year tuition averages $43,350, up $1,610 (3.9%).
- Public four-year out-of-state tuition is $30,780, $940 (3.2%) higher than 2023-24.
- Average student budgets range from $20,570 (public two-year) to $62,990 (private nonprofit).
- Public four-year in-state budgets average $29,910, and out-of-state budgets $49,080.
- From 1994-95 to 2024-25, public two-year tuition rose 46%; public four-year rose 102%.
- Private nonprofit tuition rose 75% over the same period (inflation-adjusted).
- Over the last decade, public two-year tuition fell 9%; public four-year fell 4%; private nonprofit rose 4%.
- California has the lowest public two-year tuition ($1,440); Vermont has the highest ($8,660).
- Florida has the lowest public four-year in-state tuition ($6,360); Vermont has the highest ($17,490).
- Since 2009-10, grant aid has fully covered public two-year tuition for first-time full-time students.
- Public four-year net tuition peaked at $4,340 in 2012-13, dropping to $2,480 in 2024-25.
- Private nonprofit net tuition fell from $19,330 in 2006-07 to $16,510 in 2024-25.
- In 2024-25, public four-year in-state tuition averages $11,610, a $300 (2.7%) increase from 2023-24.
Source: College Board
Source: CollegeBoard
Breakdown of Average Cost Of College
Identifying the cost of any college depends on various factors like tuition cost room board books and many other expenses here I have broken down the average cost of college so that you can get a basic idea of how much an average college costs.
Most importantly these facts and figures are just for the idea they can depend and vary from location to location.
| Institution Type | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Total Cost of Attendance |
| Public Four-Year (In-State) | $11,610 | $13,310 | $29,910 |
| Public Four-Year (Out-of-State) | $30,780 | $13,310 | $49,080 |
| Public Two-Year (In-District) | $4,050 | $13,310 | $20,570 |
| Private Nonprofit Four-Year | $43,350 | $14,650 | $62,990 |
Source: Newyork Times, College Board
Average Cost of College by State Statistics
When talking about the average cost of college by state, the highest out-of-state tuition costs are recorded in Vermont; similarly, California has the lowest college cost.
To give you an in-depth idea of the average cost of college by state, here we have compiled the list of the average cost of college based on state from highest to lowest.
| State | Cost |
| Vermont | $8,600 |
| South Dakota | $7,237 |
| New Hampshire | $7,095 |
| Massachusetts | $6,812 |
| Oregon | $5,989 |
| South Carolina | $5,910 |
| Minnesota | $5,882 |
| Iowa | $5,778 |
| New York | $5,736 |
| Pennsylvania | $5,625 |
| Nevada | $3,803 |
| Mississippi | $3,579 |
| Nebraska | $3,408 |
| Kansas | $3,387 |
| Florida | $3,235 |
| Texas | $2,885 |
| Arizona | $2,591 |
| North Carolina | $2,484 |
| New Mexico | $1,951 |
| California | $1,428 |
From the above table, you have seen that Vermont has the highest college cost at around $8600, beyond that South Dakota and New Hampshire are second and third states with the highest college cost.
Conversely, California is the state that has the lowest college cost which costs around $1428 allowing students to complete their education without any burden of worrying about the college fees and other expenses.
Source: Research.com
Average Cost Of College By Region
Understanding from the reason perspective the average cost of colleges in the middle state is recorded to be $5120 in public two-year colleges on the other hand in public four-year colleges it is recorded to be $11,220.
Comparing it with the New England reason the average cost of college in the public two years in the district costs $5370 and in public four years in the state costs $12,990.
But in most of the cases, the average cost of college varies from region, here is the tabular representation of the average college cost for the different reasons of the United States.
| Region | Public Two-Year, In-District | Public Four-Year, In-State | Public Four-Year, Out-of-State | Private Nonprofit Four-Year |
| New England | $5,370 | $12,990 | $32,370 | $44,400 |
| Middle States | $5,120 | $11,220 | $30,340 | $42,710 |
| South | $3,770 | $9,290 | $26,020 | $37,510 |
| Midwest | $4,220 | $10,460 | $28,680 | $39,700 |
| West | $2,380 | $9,450 | $26,880 | $40,750 |
| Southwest | $2,780 | $9,330 | $25,670 | $37,140 |
Historical Average Cost of Tuition
There is no doubt that the cost of college in the United States has grown significantly over the past few decades and it has now become a major financial burden for various students and families.
But this is not always the case – In the early 20s colleges used to be very affordable and education was more accessible to anyone, Here is the tabular representation of the historical trends of the average cost of tuition.
| Academic Year | Average College Costs In The Public Colleges. | Average College Costs In The Private Colleges. |
| 1977-1978 | $8,180 | $17,010 |
| 1987-1988 | $9,030 | $22,490 |
| 1997-1998 | $11,390 | $29,530 |
| 2007-2008 | $15,930 | $37,600 |
| 2017-2018 | $20,770 | $46,950 |
Source: College Board, NCES
Average Cost of College By Flagship University
There are many colleges across the globe and each college’s fees depend on its locality and popularity Talking about the lowest fees the University of Wyoming has the lowest in-state tuition fee which costs around $5217.
On the other hand, the highest initiation fee is of the Pennsylvania State University which costs $18436 and it is the most expensive university and out-of-state tension among the all flagship universities.
Here is the complete tabular representation of the average cost of college by the flagship university.
| Rank | University | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition |
| 1 | University of Wyoming | $5,217 | $16,827 |
| 2 | University of Florida | $6,381 | $28,658 |
| 3 | University of Montana | $7,063 | $24,943 |
| 4 | University of New Mexico | $7,146 | $22,037 |
| 5 | University of Idaho | $7,488 | $23,812 |
| 6 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | $7,518 | $22,908 |
| 7 | University of Nevada: Reno | $7,538 | $21,726 |
| 8 | University of Mississippi | $8,300 | $23,564 |
| 9 | West Virginia University | $8,376 | $23,616 |
| 10 | University of North Dakota | $8,447 | $20,324 |
| 11 | University of South Dakota | $8,772 | $12,020 |
| 12 | University of Utah | $8,824 | $28,067 |
| 13 | University of Nebraska: Lincoln | $8,901 | $24,201 |
| 14 | University of Iowa | $8,964 | $30,608 |
| 15 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $9,005 | $34,588 |
| 16 | University of Arkansas | $9,062 | $24,308 |
| 17 | State University of New York at Buffalo | $9,828 | $27,338 |
| 18 | University of Maryland: College Park | $10,399 | $33,606 |
| 19 | University of Texas at Austin | $10,414 | $36,984 |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin: Madison | $10,533 | $34,783 |
Source: College Board, Value Penguin
Conclusion
From every post, you have seen the facts and figures about the average cost of the colleges, and you have also seen that the fees of the colleges are increasing very rapidly, especially at the time of inflation.
But still, there are few colleges whose fee structures are very minimal that help the student pursue their education without worrying about the burden of taking loans or putting pressure on families.
Lastly, my recommendation would be if you are aiming to get into the top colleges you should start saving today and also focus on getting good grades so that you can easily able to avail the benefit of scholarships and get into the good colleges at the minimum cost.
Frequently Asked Question
What is the average cost of a good college?
According to recent stats, the average cost of a good college four-year public institution ranges from $11,000 per year for in-state students and $30,000 per year for out-of-state students however the total cost of attendance including room and other things can vary from the institution and the different locations.
What is the most expensive college?
The most expensive college in the United States is Columbia University which costs around $5,14,442 for 4 years for a four-year program although they also offer some scholarships and financial aid so that you can get the best education from the experts.
How much is 4 years of college at Harvard?
The cost of the four-year college at Harvard is approximately cost $3,34,152 and this cost is based on the research of the 2022 to 2023 academic year it also includes the order additional costs like booked tuition and other expenses.
Source Used in this Article :
- Average Tuition Statistics – Community College Review
- Trends in College Pricing – College Board
- Fast Facts on College Costs – NCES
- Average Cost of College – ValuePenguin
- College Board Newsroom
- Education Data
- Business Insider – Average College Tuition
- Community College Sticker Price
- College Board Highlights
- Trends in College Pricing 2019 Full Report (PDF)
- College Pricing 2024
- Forbes, Private Student Loan Interest Rates
- Stanford University, Community Housing: Housing Types and Costs
Contents
- 1 Key Statistics of Average Cost of College
- 2 Trends in College Costs Over Time Statistics
- 3 Breakdown of Average Cost Of College
- 4 Average Cost of College by State Statistics
- 5 Average Cost Of College By Region
- 6 Historical Average Cost of Tuition
- 7 Average Cost of College By Flagship University
- 8 Conclusion
- 9 Frequently Asked Question