College applicants and their families face not just a big life choice and the challenge of being accepted to schools, they face a complicated maze of information on how much their college career will cost. This report will allow you to know the true costs of colleges, so that you can finance a college degree and set up a successful post-graduate life.
Apply to colleges which you know you can afford
Plan financially and save and borrow the right amount to fund costs across all years of the program
Once accepted, better understand the financial context of your financial aid offer and the scope for any negotiations with the college on their proposed cost
This report also provides some of the basics on how the prices you will pay for colleges are set as well as objective cost data about popular schools for students residing in your state. These numbers are based on reported figures by the colleges themselves with projections to account for future price changes.
The information will not indicate exactly how much each student will pay your college. But it will give a broadly accurate and readily understandable general idea, allowing you to compare colleges in financial terms and to plan for a successful college journey.
How college costs work
Advertised college tuition prices are often far higher than what the typical student pays. Many colleges offer significant discounts to this headline tuition depending on an applicant’s
family financial income & assets
demographics
academic record
and decisions made by the college’s admissions or enrollment offices
Comparing college costs on an apples-to-apples basis is difficult and time consuming. College net price calculators are often outdated and don’t reflect true costs.
When an applicant is accepted to a college, they will receive a financial aid award letter highlighting what their costs will be if they enroll. These awards all differ by student.
Cost information provided by colleges and other sources often deduct loans from the cost, unlike most other consumer purchases you make
Most state colleges and universities have essentially two pricing processes, one for in-state and one for out-of-state students.
Applying early increases your chances of getting into a given college but also increases your cost by lowering, often significantly, the amount of financial aid you will be offered.
Contents
Average costs for popular in- and out-of-state schools
Community Colleges
College pricing and the Expected Family Contribution
Ways to reduce college costs
Scenarios showing projected costs by college for 7 representative families with different incomes and financial profiles
Scenario:Students with families with an average of $15,000 in annual income (<$10,000 in financial assets and home equity of <$40,000)
Scenario: Students with families with an average of $40,000 in annual income ($10,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $50,000)
Scenario: Students with families with an average of $60,000 in annual income ($20,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $90,000)
Scenario: Students with families with an average of $90,000 in annual income ($200,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $120,000)
Scenario: Students with families with an average of $150,000 in annual income ($250,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $150,000)
Scenario: Students with families with an average of $200,000 in annual income ($500,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $200,000)
Scenario: Students with families with an average of $300,000 in annual income ($950,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $350,000)
Online or Distance Schools
Glossary
In-state colleges, by average cost
The average net cost found here represents a projected average amount entering freshmen will pay for tuition, room & board, fees, books & other course materials. Net costs are not reduced by loans, which represent an obligation and are not a price reduction. The analogy here is buying a house or condo, where the cost is not reduced because you take out a mortgage to finance the purchase.
College
City
Full-time students
Admissions %
SAT ACT blended 25th percentile
% students paying discounted tuition
Average annual net cost
Casper
Casper
1,497
100
32
8,500
Laramie County CC
Cheyenne
1,603
100
52
11,000
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
1,517
100
61
9,500
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
1,005
100
53
9,000
Wyoming
Laramie
8,332
96
1,070
72
13,000
Notes on figures
Net cost is a consumer-centric metric comparable to what cost means in business transactions outside of higher education. It represents a student’s cost of attending college including: tuition, room & board, fees and estimates of supplies less institutional aid of all kinds (including need-based and merit), and less federal and state/local aid. Loans and other repayable amounts are excluded and do not reduce the cost. Room and board uses on-campus costs; for students attending nonresidential institutions, the college’s own estimate of such off-campus costs is used. Total average net cost for all students allocates in- and out-of-state costs in proportion to attendance. Net cost differs from the Net Price figure self-reported by colleges to the NCES because it is comprehensive and covers all students, including the approximately 40% not covered by Net Price calculations.
CC = Community College
Number of undergraduates represent all enrolled full-time students as of 2018/19.
% of Applicants admitted from 2019/20.
The SAT score is intended to give a very rough idea of the academic level of entering students. This number shows the 25thpercentile of enrolled students out of 100% and adds together the verbal and math SAT and ACT scores using the ACT/SAT concordance formula developed by ACT and the College Board. The maximum possible score is 1600.
The “% of students receiving discounts” is the 2018/19 figure showing what % of enrolled students are receiving price discounts from their colleges. This % does not include aid from the government, such as Pell grants, or other federal or state aid. It also does not include students borrowing to pay for college.
These comments all apply to tables later in this report except where noted.
Popular out-of-state colleges, by average cost
College
City
State
Full-time students
Admissions %
SAT ACT blended 25th percentile
% students paying discounted tuition
Avg. annual net cost
Arizona State
Tempe
AZ
41,182
86
1,110
94
32,500
Arizona
Tucson
AZ
28,972
85
1,090
87
43,500
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
AZ
18,406
77
98
24,500
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
AZ
21,731
85
92
30,000
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
CA
19,685
28
1,240
37
37,500
Colorado
Boulder
CO
28,877
78
1,160
51
53,500
Colorado State-Ft Collins
Fort Collins
CO
22,247
81
1,090
56
35,500
Colorado Tech
Colorado Springs
CO
15,272
100
23
16,000
Colorado Mesa
Grand Junction
CO
6,972
78
940
53
30,000
Metro State
Denver
CO
12,250
61
890
21
34,500
Northern Colorado
Greeley
CO
7,752
91
970
85
28,000
Boise State
Boise
ID
13,104
77
1,030
53
27,000
Idaho State
Pocatello
ID
5,966
100
71
28,500
Idaho
Moscow
ID
6,749
78
1,010
90
26,500
North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
ID
1,950
100
51
18,000
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg
ID
18,448
96
1,000
36
7,500
Iowa State
Ames
IA
26,713
92
1,080
79
27,000
Iowa
Iowa City
IA
21,212
83
1,090
57
36,000
Kansas
Lawrence
KS
17,257
93
1,100
73
30,000
Kansas State
Manhattan
KS
15,548
95
77
23,500
Michigan State
East Lansing
MI
35,722
71
1,120
48
39,500
Minnesota State-Mankato
Mankato
MN
10,413
63
1,000
29
25,000
Minnesota
Minneapolis
MN
29,939
57
1,210
59
37,500
Rocky Mountain
Billings
MT
829
59
950
100
22,500
Chadron State
Chadron
NE
1,443
100
79
16,500
Nebraska
Lincoln
NE
19,132
78
1,080
82
28,500
Southern Nevada
Las Vegas
NV
10,164
100
39
18,500
UNLV
Las Vegas
NV
19,523
81
990
26
42,500
Nevada-Reno
Reno
NV
14,788
88
1,040
50
40,000
New Mexico
Albuquerque
NM
12,705
94
960
70
22,000
Dickinson State
Dickinson
ND
922
100
940
48
17,000
N Dakota College of Science
Wahpeton
ND
1,522
100
27
22,000
Williston State
Williston
ND
626
100
86
13,000
Oregon State
Corvallis
OR
18,554
82
1,070
72
38,500
Oregon
Eugene
OR
17,419
82
1,090
59
52,000
Portland CC
Portland
OR
10,372
100
0
23,000
Portland State
Portland
OR
13,949
96
970
53
41,500
Black Hills State
Spearfish
SD
1,945
84
960
47
21,500
South Dakota State
Brookings
SD
7,971
90
1,000
53
23,000
South Dakota
Vermillion
SD
4,899
86
1,000
63
22,500
BYU-Provo
Provo
UT
28,288
67
1,230
49
17,000
Utah State
Logan
UT
17,063
91
1,030
73
17,000
Utah Valley
Orem
UT
19,799
100
43
17,000
Utah
Salt Lake City
UT
18,628
62
1,130
70
37,500
Weber State
Ogden
UT
11,854
100
72
20,500
Central Washington
Ellensburg
WA
9,977
85
940
71
25,500
Washington State
Pullman
WA
23,092
76
1,020
74
37,000
Washington
Seattle
WA
29,332
52
1,220
40
52,000
Western Washington
Bellingham
WA
13,887
90
1,060
71
34,000
Northwest College
Powell
WY
760
100
86
13,500
Western Governors
Salt Lake City
UT
98,630
100
0
11,500
Community Colleges
Community colleges are presented differently from 4-year colleges because of how they manage the prices they charge, such as offering discounted tuition to in-county residents, sometimes providing on-campus housing and sometimes not, and educating a larger proportion of part-time and distance (online) students. The “In-state Tuition, Fees and Supplies” number presented above, dating from 2018/19, is intended to remove these factors and make the prices easier to compare.
College
City
Full-time students
Part-time students
In-state tuition
Average annual net cost
BA degree offered
Residential dorms available
Room & board cost (in-state)
Casper
Casper
1,497
2,122
3,834
8,500
YES
7,060
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
1,517
2,830
4,170
9,500
YES
7,672
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
1,005
1,816
3,930
9,000
YES
6,980
Notes on figures
Number of undergraduates represent all enrolled full-time and part-time students as of 2018/19.
“In-state Tuition, Fees and Supplies” is a figure provided by the colleges covering full-time tuition, supplies and fees but NOT room & board. This is a cleaner way to compare community college pricing for several reasons. The proportion of tuition paid by Pell Grants depends on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and is determined by the federal government, not any decision by the college. Some but not all community colleges offer dormitories. Finally, the number of part-time students and the discounted tuition often granted to in-county students makes the comparison of net prices even more complex than for traditional 4-year colleges.
The Average Net Cost figures used in this report extrapolate from data provided by the colleges themselves to the federal government and the public, projected to the current year. It represents full-time tuition and includes room & board, supplies, fees less aid and grants from the colleges and the government. It standardizes calculations across colleges and is comparable to the Net costs used for 4-year colleges. Individual student costs will vary based on circumstances, so this figure only provides guidance. This figure does have the benefit of showing you how much a typical community college student will spend.
The cost of on-campus room & board dates from 2019/20 and is only presented for colleges providing residential housing. The schools’ estimates of off-campus housing costs are not included.
College pricing and the Expected Family Contribution
To receive any sort of aids and loans, US colleges require filing of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which calculates the Expected Family Contribution (the “EFC”). Discussions of college costs often make reference to the EFC, which is a federal statutory calculation that governs financing student college costs. It is NOT the same as the pricing, which is determined by supply and demand and the college’s own cost structure. To repeat, the cost of college is how much you will pay the college; the EFC determines your eligibility for loans or certain grants. Pricing; financing – two different things.
The charts below illustrate this distinction for a college with a “Cost of attendance” of $60,000. (The cost of attendance includes the full listed as-advertised tuition, room & board, estimated costs for materials and other fees.)
The College Board Big Future site offers a handy way to calculate this in advance of completing all the paperwork:
Note that the EFC will be renamed the Student Aid Index beginning in the 2023/24 academic year. The FAFSA filing after this change is expected to be much simpler and quicker to complete, but the fundamental formula is unchanged.
Federal Student Loans
Student loans are a complex topic outside of the scope of this report.
2021/2022 interest rates for the federal student loan program are:
Direct (unsubsidized & subsidized): 3.73%.
Direct PLUS is set at 6.28%.
Private loan interest rate are set by the market, partly depend on the parents’ credit score and come in a variety of types.
Federal student loan interest rates are fixed and do not change after the initial borrowing. Because of the topic’s complexity, we recommend you go straight to the source and read the Department of Education site for more information:
A smaller group of mostly selective colleges also require submission of the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. The CSS Profile is a more detailed report on the financial profile of a student and their family. It is used in different ways by these colleges to assess how much students and their families should pay. One key difference between the FAFSA and CSS Profile schools is that the equity value of the home often (but not always) affects the level of financial aid offered.
The FAFSA and CSS Profile use prior year income for the initial FAFSA filing, so a 2021 senior’s FAFSA would depend on their 2019 earnings.
Decision and Early Action
Giving students discounts and breaks on full tuition is common business practice in higher education. Information about discounts granted to Early Decision and Early Action candidates is not compiled but a large amount of anecdotal evidence points to discounts for accepted students in Early Decision being much less generous than for the regular application period. So a student’s decision to apply Early Decision conveys to the college both their strong interest in attending and their willingness and ability to pay full costs. Applying through Early Action conveys strong interest but leaves latitude for negotiating financial aid. Because each student’s situation will be different, applicants are advised to think of the application process in part as a negotiation and to use the different application options as signals to the college.
Ways to save on college costs
There are a number of options beyond college choices to limit spending on college. The right choice depends on the student’s needs. They include:
Studying for a year or two at a community college, institutions which are generally cheaper than 4-year programs, and then transferring into a Bachelor’s program.
Completing credits at high school or via distance learning outside of actual college attendance
Making sure to complete the bachelor’s program on time
Applying for and obtaining scholarships
The first two will require acceptance of credits by the 4-year Bachelor’s program in which you ultimately enroll. While there are certain standards that apply in these scenarios, the ultimate decision will depend on the college accepting the student.
Fit
One important way to limit spending is to make sure the college you enroll in is a “fit.” When recruiting students, colleges are very focused on fit – on making sure that a college matches up well with a student’s personal and professional objectives. This is because fit helps both the student and the college. Lack of fit directly contributes to students dropping out or transferring to another school, both of which increase the costs of obtaining a degree. So proper matching of applications with schools is an important factor in college costs.
How to find scholarships and grants
The College Board’s Big Future and Sallie Mae’s Scholarship Search site are both excellent places to find information on scholarships:
Finally, two separate but similarly named sites, Collegescholarships.com and Collegescholarships.org, valuably provide lists of scholarships limited to residents of specific states, counties and municipalities.
While the average costs above are an informative first cut, the impact of their family’s individual financial position on the amount a college charges a specific student is significant. The following section lays out a set of scenarios showing estimated costs for students with different family financial profiles. These are estimates and are intended as a baseline guide to help you decide on a short list of colleges to which to apply and to navigate the application and acceptance process with objective financial information.
Factors that increase or decrease the amount colleges charge a student:
Family income
Family financial assets
Amount of equity in the family home (only selected colleges)
Academic performance in high school, board scores
Student’s demographic profile (including whether the parents have college degrees)
Other factors, such as whether other students in the household are also enrolled in college, marital status (married or not), and student income and savings play a generally smaller role.
Notes on figures
For categories identical to those used to the in- and out-of-state average costs tables above, earlier comments apply.
The colleges are ranked highest to lowest according to projected 2021/22 net cost.
The “Full cost of a 4-year degree, Projected” represents an estimate of the total net costs for a class of ’25 student completing their Bachelor’s degree in 4 years.
Scenarios 5, 6 and 7 assume a dual-earner married household with two children, the prospective college student who is a public high school senior and a younger sibling, with financial and home equity assets conforming to US government data on income and assets. The couple does not own their own business or investment real estate and is not the beneficiary of a trust. The prospective college student has no children, earned a small amount last year and is a dependent for IRS purposes. Once enrolled in college, the student would be enrolled full-time and live on campus.
Disclaimer: These financial estimates represent informational projections that will change over time. They do not represents promises or commitments by CTAS or the colleges themselves. Final net cost numbers will differ from these estimates for many reasons.
Scenario
Students with families with an average of $15,000 in annual income. Families in this income range on average have <$10,000 in financial assets and home equity of <$40,000 (Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances).
College
City
State
Full-time students
Admissions %
% students paying discounted tuition
Avg. annual net cost
Total cost of degree
Arizona State
Tempe
AZ
41,182
86
94
27,000
113,000
Arizona
Tucson
AZ
28,972
85
87
31,500
131,500
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
AZ
18,406
77
98
20,000
82,500
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
AZ
21,731
85
92
20,000
83,000
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
CA
19,685
28
37
30,500
126,500
Colorado
Boulder
CO
28,877
78
51
32,000
132,500
Colorado State-Ft Collins
Fort Collins
CO
22,247
81
56
23,500
96,500
Colorado Tech
Colorado Springs
CO
15,272
100
23
16,500
67,000
Colorado Mesa
Grand Junction
CO
6,972
78
53
22,500
92,000
Metro State
Denver
CO
12,250
61
21
29,000
120,000
Northern Colorado
Greeley
CO
7,752
91
85
19,000
79,000
Boise State
Boise
ID
13,104
77
53
22,000
90,000
Idaho State
Pocatello
ID
5,966
100
71
26,500
109,000
Idaho
Moscow
ID
6,749
78
90
21,500
88,000
North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
ID
1,950
100
51
9,500
19,000
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg
ID
18,448
96
36
3,500
13,500
Iowa State
Ames
IA
26,713
92
79
14,500
60,500
Iowa
Iowa City
IA
21,212
83
57
25,500
104,000
Kansas
Lawrence
KS
17,257
93
73
23,000
94,000
Kansas State
Manhattan
KS
15,548
95
77
18,500
74,500
Michigan State
East Lansing
MI
35,722
71
48
30,500
124,500
Minnesota State-Mankato
Mankato
MN
10,413
63
29
18,500
76,500
Minnesota
Minneapolis
MN
29,939
57
59
31,500
130,500
Rocky Mountain
Billings
MT
829
59
100
16,500
68,000
Chadron State
Chadron
NE
1,443
100
79
14,000
57,500
Nebraska
Lincoln
NE
19,132
78
82
20,000
82,500
Southern Nevada
Las Vegas
NV
10,164
100
39
12,000
50,000
UNLV
Las Vegas
NV
19,523
81
26
33,000
137,500
Nevada-Reno
Reno
NV
14,788
88
50
32,000
133,500
New Mexico
Albuquerque
NM
12,705
94
70
18,500
75,500
Dickinson State
Dickinson
ND
922
100
48
10,500
43,000
N Dakota College of Science
Wahpeton
ND
1,522
100
27
14,500
29,500
Williston State
Williston
ND
626
100
86
10,000
20,000
Oregon State
Corvallis
OR
18,554
82
72
24,000
99,000
Oregon
Eugene
OR
17,419
82
59
40,500
168,000
Portland CC
Portland
OR
10,372
100
0
14,000
29,000
Portland State
Portland
OR
13,949
96
53
33,000
136,500
Black Hills State
Spearfish
SD
1,945
84
47
18,000
74,500
South Dakota State
Brookings
SD
7,971
90
53
20,000
81,500
South Dakota
Vermillion
SD
4,899
86
63
19,000
77,500
BYU-Provo
Provo
UT
28,288
67
49
9,500
39,000
Utah State
Logan
UT
17,063
91
73
13,000
54,000
Utah Valley
Orem
UT
19,799
100
43
12,000
48,000
Utah
Salt Lake City
UT
18,628
62
70
26,500
110,000
Weber State
Ogden
UT
11,854
100
72
14,500
60,000
Central Washington
Ellensburg
WA
9,977
85
71
16,500
67,000
Washington State
Pullman
WA
23,092
76
74
26,000
108,500
Washington
Seattle
WA
29,332
52
40
42,500
176,500
Western Washington
Bellingham
WA
13,887
90
71
20,500
85,500
Casper
Casper
WY
1,497
100
32
6,500
12,500
Northwest College
Powell
WY
760
100
86
4,500
9,500
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
WY
1,517
100
61
9,500
18,500
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
WY
1,005
100
53
5,500
11,500
Western Governors
Salt Lake City
UT
98,630
100
0
5,000
19,500
2022-23 projected average net cost for selected colleges including both in- and out-of-state schools.
Scenario
Students with families with an average of $40,000 in annual income. Families in this income range on average have approximately $10,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $50,000 (Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances).
College
City
State
Full-time students
Admissions %
% students paying discounted tuition
Avg. annual net cost
Total cost of degree}
Arizona State
Tempe
AZ
41,182
86
94
30,000
124,000
Arizona
Tucson
AZ
28,972
85
87
34,000
140,500
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
AZ
18,406
77
98
20,500
84,500
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
AZ
21,731
85
92
21,000
87,000
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
CA
19,685
28
37
33,500
137,000
Colorado
Boulder
CO
28,877
78
51
35,000
145,000
Colorado State-Ft Collins
Fort Collins
CO
22,247
81
56
23,500
97,500
Colorado Tech
Colorado Springs
CO
15,272
100
23
17,000
69,000
Colorado Mesa
Grand Junction
CO
6,972
78
53
24,000
98,000
Metro State
Denver
CO
12,250
61
21
30,000
125,000
Northern Colorado
Greeley
CO
7,752
91
85
21,000
85,500
Boise State
Boise
ID
13,104
77
53
23,000
95,500
Idaho State
Pocatello
ID
5,966
100
71
28,000
115,000
Idaho
Moscow
ID
6,749
78
90
22,500
93,500
North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
ID
1,950
100
51
10,500
21,000
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg
ID
18,448
96
36
4,500
17,500
Iowa State
Ames
IA
26,713
92
79
16,000
65,000
Iowa
Iowa City
IA
21,212
83
57
29,000
119,000
Kansas
Lawrence
KS
17,257
93
73
24,000
99,500
Kansas State
Manhattan
KS
15,548
95
77
19,000
78,000
Michigan State
East Lansing
MI
35,722
71
48
44,500
181,000
Minnesota State-Mankato
Mankato
MN
10,413
63
29
19,500
80,000
Minnesota
Minneapolis
MN
29,939
57
59
33,500
139,000
Rocky Mountain
Billings
MT
829
59
100
16,500
68,000
Chadron State
Chadron
NE
1,443
100
79
14,000
58,000
Nebraska
Lincoln
NE
19,132
78
82
21,500
89,000
Southern Nevada
Las Vegas
NV
10,164
100
39
13,000
55,000
UNLV
Las Vegas
NV
19,523
81
26
35,000
144,500
Nevada-Reno
Reno
NV
14,788
88
50
34,500
143,500
New Mexico
Albuquerque
NM
12,705
94
70
20,500
82,500
Dickinson State
Dickinson
ND
922
100
48
10,500
43,000
N Dakota College of Science
Wahpeton
ND
1,522
100
27
16,000
32,500
Williston State
Williston
ND
626
100
86
11,000
22,500
Oregon State
Corvallis
OR
18,554
82
72
26,000
108,000
Oregon
Eugene
OR
17,419
82
59
42,000
175,000
Portland CC
Portland
OR
10,372
100
0
15,000
30,500
Portland State
Portland
OR
13,949
96
53
34,500
142,000
Black Hills State
Spearfish
SD
1,945
84
47
18,500
76,000
South Dakota State
Brookings
SD
7,971
90
53
21,000
86,000
South Dakota
Vermillion
SD
4,899
86
63
20,000
83,000
BYU-Provo
Provo
UT
28,288
67
49
11,000
45,000
Utah State
Logan
UT
17,063
91
73
14,000
57,000
Utah Valley
Orem
UT
19,799
100
43
13,000
52,000
Utah
Salt Lake City
UT
18,628
62
70
28,500
117,000
Weber State
Ogden
UT
11,854
100
72
16,000
65,000
Central Washington
Ellensburg
WA
9,977
85
71
18,500
75,500
Washington State
Pullman
WA
23,092
76
74
29,500
122,500
Washington
Seattle
WA
29,332
52
40
42,500
176,500
Western Washington
Bellingham
WA
13,887
90
71
23,000
95,500
Casper
Casper
WY
1,497
100
32
6,500
12,500
Northwest College
Powell
WY
760
100
86
4,500
9,500
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
WY
1,517
100
61
10,000
21,000
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
WY
1,005
100
53
5,500
11,500
Western Governors
Salt Lake City
UT
98,630
100
0
5,000
20,500
2022-23 projected average net cost for selected colleges including both in- and out-of-state schools.
Scenario
Scenario: Students with families with an average of $60,000 in annual income. Families in this income range on average have approximately $20,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $90,000 (Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances).
College
City
State
Full-time students
Admissions %
% students paying discounted tuition
Avg. annual net cost
Total cost of degree
Arizona State
Tempe
AZ
41,182
86
94
39,000
163,000
Arizona
Tucson
AZ
28,972
85
87
42,000
174,500
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
AZ
18,406
77
98
23,500
98,000
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
AZ
21,731
85
92
25,500
104,500
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
CA
19,685
28
37
40,000
164,500
Colorado
Boulder
CO
28,877
78
51
44,000
182,000
Colorado State-Ft Collins
Fort Collins
CO
22,247
81
56
31,000
126,500
Colorado Tech
Colorado Springs
CO
15,272
100
23
18,500
75,500
Colorado Mesa
Grand Junction
CO
6,972
78
53
27,000
111,000
Metro State
Denver
CO
12,250
61
21
34,500
144,500
Northern Colorado
Greeley
CO
7,752
91
85
24,000
98,500
Boise State
Boise
ID
13,104
77
53
28,000
117,000
Idaho State
Pocatello
ID
5,966
100
71
31,500
130,000
Idaho
Moscow
ID
6,749
78
90
26,500
109,000
North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
ID
1,950
100
51
13,500
27,000
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg
ID
18,448
96
36
6,500
26,000
Iowa State
Ames
IA
26,713
92
79
21,000
85,500
Iowa
Iowa City
IA
21,212
83
57
34,500
142,500
Kansas
Lawrence
KS
17,257
93
73
27,000
111,000
Kansas State
Manhattan
KS
15,548
95
77
21,500
87,500
Michigan State
East Lansing
MI
35,722
71
48
49,500
201,000
Minnesota State-Mankato
Mankato
MN
10,413
63
29
23,500
96,000
Minnesota
Minneapolis
MN
29,939
57
59
40,500
167,500
Rocky Mountain
Billings
MT
829
59
100
18,500
77,500
Chadron State
Chadron
NE
1,443
100
79
17,000
69,500
Nebraska
Lincoln
NE
19,132
78
82
25,500
105,500
Southern Nevada
Las Vegas
NV
10,164
100
39
16,500
69,000
UNLV
Las Vegas
NV
19,523
81
26
40,500
167,500
Nevada-Reno
Reno
NV
14,788
88
50
40,500
167,000
New Mexico
Albuquerque
NM
12,705
94
70
23,000
93,500
Dickinson State
Dickinson
ND
922
100
48
13,000
53,500
N Dakota College of Science
Wahpeton
ND
1,522
100
27
21,000
42,000
Williston State
Williston
ND
626
100
86
12,500
24,500
Oregon State
Corvallis
OR
18,554
82
72
34,000
139,500
Oregon
Eugene
OR
17,419
82
59
47,000
195,000
Portland CC
Portland
OR
10,372
100
0
19,000
39,000
Portland State
Portland
OR
13,949
96
53
38,500
159,500
Black Hills State
Spearfish
SD
1,945
84
47
22,000
90,000
South Dakota State
Brookings
SD
7,971
90
53
24,500
100,000
South Dakota
Vermillion
SD
4,899
86
63
23,500
96,000
BYU-Provo
Provo
UT
28,288
67
49
13,500
55,500
Utah State
Logan
UT
17,063
91
73
15,500
64,000
Utah Valley
Orem
UT
19,799
100
43
15,000
61,000
Utah
Salt Lake City
UT
18,628
62
70
32,500
134,000
Weber State
Ogden
UT
11,854
100
72
18,500
75,000
Central Washington
Ellensburg
WA
9,977
85
71
24,500
99,500
Washington State
Pullman
WA
23,092
76
74
37,500
156,000
Washington
Seattle
WA
29,332
52
40
47,500
195,500
Western Washington
Bellingham
WA
13,887
90
71
32,000
133,500
Casper
Casper
WY
1,497
100
32
9,500
18,500
Northwest College
Powell
WY
760
100
86
7,500
15,000
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
WY
1,517
100
61
12,500
25,000
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
WY
1,005
100
53
7,500
15,000
Western Governors
Salt Lake City
UT
98,630
100
0
6,000
24,500
2022-23 projected average net cost for selected colleges including both in- and out-of-state schools.
Scenario
Students with families with an average of $90,000 in annual income. Families in this income range on average have approximately $200,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $120,000 (Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances).
College
City
State
Full-time students
Admissions %
% students paying discounted tuition
Avg. annual net cost
Total cost of degree
Arizona State
Tempe
AZ
41,182
86
94
40,500
167,500
Arizona
Tucson
AZ
28,972
85
87
46,000
190,000
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
AZ
18,406
77
98
25,500
106,500
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
AZ
21,731
85
92
32,500
132,500
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
CA
19,685
28
37
42,000
174,000
Colorado
Boulder
CO
28,877
78
51
56,500
233,000
Colorado State-Ft Collins
Fort Collins
CO
22,247
81
56
43,000
178,000
Colorado Tech
Colorado Springs
CO
15,272
100
23
21,500
87,000
Colorado Mesa
Grand Junction
CO
6,972
78
53
31,500
129,500
Metro State
Denver
CO
12,250
61
21
38,500
160,000
Northern Colorado
Greeley
CO
7,752
91
85
30,500
125,500
Boise State
Boise
ID
13,104
77
53
33,500
138,000
Idaho State
Pocatello
ID
5,966
100
71
34,500
143,000
Idaho
Moscow
ID
6,749
78
90
32,000
133,000
North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
ID
1,950
100
51
16,500
33,000
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg
ID
18,448
96
36
10,000
40,000
Iowa State
Ames
IA
26,713
92
79
25,500
104,000
Iowa
Iowa City
IA
21,212
83
57
35,500
146,000
Kansas
Lawrence
KS
17,257
93
73
33,000
136,000
Kansas State
Manhattan
KS
15,548
95
77
24,500
100,000
Michigan State
East Lansing
MI
35,722
71
48
49,500
201,000
Minnesota State-Mankato
Mankato
MN
10,413
63
29
28,500
116,500
Minnesota
Minneapolis
MN
29,939
57
59
42,500
177,500
Rocky Mountain
Billings
MT
829
59
100
21,000
87,500
Chadron State
Chadron
NE
1,443
100
79
18,000
75,500
Nebraska
Lincoln
NE
19,132
78
82
30,000
124,000
Southern Nevada
Las Vegas
NV
10,164
100
39
20,000
83,000
UNLV
Las Vegas
NV
19,523
81
26
43,000
178,000
Nevada-Reno
Reno
NV
14,788
88
50
43,000
177,500
New Mexico
Albuquerque
NM
12,705
94
70
25,500
103,500
Dickinson State
Dickinson
ND
922
100
48
17,500
71,000
N Dakota College of Science
Wahpeton
ND
1,522
100
27
22,000
44,000
Williston State
Williston
ND
626
100
86
13,500
27,000
Oregon State
Corvallis
OR
18,554
82
72
39,000
160,500
Oregon
Eugene
OR
17,419
82
59
53,000
220,500
Portland CC
Portland
OR
10,372
100
0
22,000
45,000
Portland State
Portland
OR
13,949
96
53
45,500
186,500
Black Hills State
Spearfish
SD
1,945
84
47
24,000
99,500
South Dakota State
Brookings
SD
7,971
90
53
25,500
103,500
South Dakota
Vermillion
SD
4,899
86
63
25,000
103,500
BYU-Provo
Provo
UT
28,288
67
49
17,000
70,000
Utah State
Logan
UT
17,063
91
73
19,500
79,000
Utah Valley
Orem
UT
19,799
100
43
19,000
77,000
Utah
Salt Lake City
UT
18,628
62
70
38,000
156,000
Weber State
Ogden
UT
11,854
100
72
21,000
86,500
Central Washington
Ellensburg
WA
9,977
85
71
30,500
124,000
Washington State
Pullman
WA
23,092
76
74
43,000
179,500
Washington
Seattle
WA
29,332
52
40
57,000
236,500
Western Washington
Bellingham
WA
13,887
90
71
36,000
149,000
Casper
Casper
WY
1,497
100
32
11,000
22,000
Northwest College
Powell
WY
760
100
86
10,500
21,000
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
WY
1,517
100
61
14,500
29,000
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
WY
1,005
100
53
9,500
19,000
Western Governors
Salt Lake City
UT
98,630
100
0
7,500
30,000
2022-23 projected average net cost for selected colleges including both in- and out-of-state schools.
Scenario
Students with families with an average of $150,000 in annual income, $250,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $150,000 (in line with data from Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances).
College
City
State
Full-time students
Admissions %
% students paying discounted tuition
Avg. annual net cost
Total cost of degree
Arizona State
Tempe
AZ
41,182
86
94
40,500
167,500
Arizona
Tucson
AZ
28,972
85
87
46,000
190,000
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
AZ
18,406
77
98
29,500
122,000
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
AZ
21,731
85
92
33,500
138,000
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
CA
19,685
28
37
42,000
174,000
Colorado
Boulder
CO
28,877
78
51
56,500
233,000
Colorado State-Ft Collins
Fort Collins
CO
22,247
81
56
44,000
181,500
Colorado Tech
Colorado Springs
CO
15,272
100
23
22,500
92,000
Colorado Mesa
Grand Junction
CO
6,972
78
53
39,000
160,000
Metro State
Denver
CO
12,250
61
21
38,500
160,000
Northern Colorado
Greeley
CO
7,752
91
85
38,500
158,500
Boise State
Boise
ID
13,104
77
53
36,500
151,500
Idaho State
Pocatello
ID
5,966
100
71
39,500
163,000
Idaho
Moscow
ID
6,749
78
90
34,500
142,000
North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
ID
1,950
100
51
20,500
41,500
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg
ID
18,448
96
36
10,000
41,000
Iowa State
Ames
IA
26,713
92
79
31,500
128,500
Iowa
Iowa City
IA
21,212
83
57
41,500
171,000
Kansas
Lawrence
KS
17,257
93
73
44,000
181,000
Kansas State
Manhattan
KS
15,548
95
77
26,000
105,500
Michigan State
East Lansing
MI
35,722
71
48
49,500
201,000
Minnesota State-Mankato
Mankato
MN
10,413
63
29
30,000
123,000
Minnesota
Minneapolis
MN
29,939
57
59
42,500
177,500
Rocky Mountain
Billings
MT
829
59
100
26,000
109,000
Chadron State
Chadron
NE
1,443
100
79
21,000
86,500
Nebraska
Lincoln
NE
19,132
78
82
39,500
161,500
Southern Nevada
Las Vegas
NV
10,164
100
39
25,000
104,500
UNLV
Las Vegas
NV
19,523
81
26
43,000
178,000
Nevada-Reno
Reno
NV
14,788
88
50
43,000
177,500
New Mexico
Albuquerque
NM
12,705
94
70
27,000
110,000
Dickinson State
Dickinson
ND
922
100
48
19,000
79,000
N Dakota College of Science
Wahpeton
ND
1,522
100
27
22,000
44,000
Williston State
Williston
ND
626
100
86
16,000
32,000
Oregon State
Corvallis
OR
18,554
82
72
42,000
174,000
Oregon
Eugene
OR
17,419
82
59
53,000
220,500
Portland CC
Portland
OR
10,372
100
0
23,500
48,000
Portland State
Portland
OR
13,949
96
53
45,500
186,500
Black Hills State
Spearfish
SD
1,945
84
47
26,000
106,000
South Dakota State
Brookings
SD
7,971
90
53
25,500
103,500
South Dakota
Vermillion
SD
4,899
86
63
26,000
107,500
BYU-Provo
Provo
UT
28,288
67
49
19,500
80,000
Utah State
Logan
UT
17,063
91
73
25,000
101,500
Utah Valley
Orem
UT
19,799
100
43
19,000
78,000
Utah
Salt Lake City
UT
18,628
62
70
43,500
179,500
Weber State
Ogden
UT
11,854
100
72
26,500
109,500
Central Washington
Ellensburg
WA
9,977
85
71
37,500
154,000
Washington State
Pullman
WA
23,092
76
74
43,000
179,500
Washington
Seattle
WA
29,332
52
40
57,000
236,500
Western Washington
Bellingham
WA
13,887
90
71
36,000
149,000
Casper
Casper
WY
1,497
100
32
11,500
22,500
Northwest College
Powell
WY
760
100
86
16,000
33,000
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
WY
1,517
100
61
16,000
32,000
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
WY
1,005
100
53
11,500
23,500
Western Governors
Salt Lake City
UT
98,630
100
0
10,000
40,000
2022-23 projected average net cost for selected colleges including both in- and out-of-state schools.
Scenario
Students with families with an average of $200,000 in annual income, $500,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $200,000 (in line with data from Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances).
College
City
State
Full-time students
Admissions %
% students paying discounted tuition
Avg. annual net cost
Total cost of degree
Arizona State
Tempe
AZ
41,182
86
94
40,500
167,500
Arizona
Tucson
AZ
28,972
85
87
46,000
190,000
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
AZ
18,406
77
98
32,500
134,000
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
AZ
21,731
85
92
33,500
138,000
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
CA
19,685
28
37
42,000
174,000
Colorado
Boulder
CO
28,877
78
51
56,500
233,000
Colorado State-Ft Collins
Fort Collins
CO
22,247
81
56
44,000
181,500
Colorado Tech
Colorado Springs
CO
15,272
100
23
22,500
92,000
Colorado Mesa
Grand Junction
CO
6,972
78
53
39,000
160,000
Metro State
Denver
CO
12,250
61
21
38,500
160,000
Northern Colorado
Greeley
CO
7,752
91
85
38,500
158,500
Boise State
Boise
ID
13,104
77
53
36,500
151,500
Idaho State
Pocatello
ID
5,966
100
71
39,500
163,000
Idaho
Moscow
ID
6,749
78
90
34,500
142,000
North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
ID
1,950
100
51
20,500
41,500
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg
ID
18,448
96
36
10,000
41,000
Iowa State
Ames
IA
26,713
92
79
31,500
128,500
Iowa
Iowa City
IA
21,212
83
57
41,500
171,000
Kansas
Lawrence
KS
17,257
93
73
44,000
181,000
Kansas State
Manhattan
KS
15,548
95
77
28,000
113,500
Michigan State
East Lansing
MI
35,722
71
48
49,500
201,000
Minnesota State-Mankato
Mankato
MN
10,413
63
29
30,000
123,000
Minnesota
Minneapolis
MN
29,939
57
59
42,500
177,500
Rocky Mountain
Billings
MT
829
59
100
30,500
126,000
Chadron State
Chadron
NE
1,443
100
79
23,000
95,500
Nebraska
Lincoln
NE
19,132
78
82
44,000
181,500
Southern Nevada
Las Vegas
NV
10,164
100
39
25,000
104,500
UNLV
Las Vegas
NV
19,523
81
26
43,000
178,000
Nevada-Reno
Reno
NV
14,788
88
50
43,000
177,500
New Mexico
Albuquerque
NM
12,705
94
70
27,000
110,000
Dickinson State
Dickinson
ND
922
100
48
19,000
79,000
N Dakota College of Science
Wahpeton
ND
1,522
100
27
22,000
44,000
Williston State
Williston
ND
626
100
86
17,500
35,000
Oregon State
Corvallis
OR
18,554
82
72
42,000
174,000
Oregon
Eugene
OR
17,419
82
59
53,000
220,500
Portland CC
Portland
OR
10,372
100
0
23,500
48,000
Portland State
Portland
OR
13,949
96
53
45,500
186,500
Black Hills State
Spearfish
SD
1,945
84
47
26,000
106,000
South Dakota State
Brookings
SD
7,971
90
53
25,500
103,500
South Dakota
Vermillion
SD
4,899
86
63
26,000
107,500
BYU-Provo
Provo
UT
28,288
67
49
19,500
80,000
Utah State
Logan
UT
17,063
91
73
25,000
101,500
Utah Valley
Orem
UT
19,799
100
43
19,000
78,000
Utah
Salt Lake City
UT
18,628
62
70
43,500
179,500
Weber State
Ogden
UT
11,854
100
72
30,500
124,500
Central Washington
Ellensburg
WA
9,977
85
71
37,500
154,000
Washington State
Pullman
WA
23,092
76
74
43,000
179,500
Washington
Seattle
WA
29,332
52
40
57,000
236,500
Western Washington
Bellingham
WA
13,887
90
71
36,000
149,000
Casper
Casper
WY
1,497
100
32
11,500
22,500
Northwest College
Powell
WY
760
100
86
18,500
37,500
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
WY
1,517
100
61
16,000
32,000
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
WY
1,005
100
53
11,500
23,500
Western Governors
Salt Lake City
UT
98,630
100
0
12,000
49,500
2022-23 projected average net cost for selected colleges including both in- and out-of-state schools.
Scenario
Students with families with an average of $300,000 in annual income, $950,000 in financial assets and home equity of approximately $350,000 (in line with data from Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances).
College
City
State
Full-time students
Admissions %
% students paying discounted tuition
Avg. annual net cost
Total cost of degree
Arizona State
Tempe
AZ
41,182
86
94
40,500
167,500
Arizona
Tucson
AZ
28,972
85
87
50,000
207,000
Grand Canyon
Phoenix
AZ
18,406
77
98
33,500
139,500
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff
AZ
21,731
85
92
33,500
138,000
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
CA
19,685
28
37
42,000
174,000
Colorado
Boulder
CO
28,877
78
51
56,500
233,000
Colorado State-Ft Collins
Fort Collins
CO
22,247
81
56
44,000
181,500
Colorado Tech
Colorado Springs
CO
15,272
100
23
22,500
92,000
Colorado Mesa
Grand Junction
CO
6,972
78
53
39,000
160,000
Metro State
Denver
CO
12,250
61
21
38,500
160,000
Northern Colorado
Greeley
CO
7,752
91
85
39,000
161,000
Boise State
Boise
ID
13,104
77
53
36,500
151,500
Idaho State
Pocatello
ID
5,966
100
71
39,500
163,000
Idaho
Moscow
ID
6,749
78
90
34,500
142,000
North Idaho
Coeur d'Alene
ID
1,950
100
51
20,500
41,500
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg
ID
18,448
96
36
10,000
41,000
Iowa State
Ames
IA
26,713
92
79
31,500
128,500
Iowa
Iowa City
IA
21,212
83
57
41,500
171,000
Kansas
Lawrence
KS
17,257
93
73
44,000
181,000
Kansas State
Manhattan
KS
15,548
95
77
28,000
113,500
Michigan State
East Lansing
MI
35,722
71
48
49,500
201,000
Minnesota State-Mankato
Mankato
MN
10,413
63
29
30,000
123,000
Minnesota
Minneapolis
MN
29,939
57
59
42,500
177,500
Rocky Mountain
Billings
MT
829
59
100
30,500
127,500
Chadron State
Chadron
NE
1,443
100
79
25,000
104,500
Nebraska
Lincoln
NE
19,132
78
82
44,000
181,500
Southern Nevada
Las Vegas
NV
10,164
100
39
25,000
104,500
UNLV
Las Vegas
NV
19,523
81
26
43,000
178,000
Nevada-Reno
Reno
NV
14,788
88
50
43,000
177,500
New Mexico
Albuquerque
NM
12,705
94
70
27,000
110,000
Dickinson State
Dickinson
ND
922
100
48
19,000
79,000
N Dakota College of Science
Wahpeton
ND
1,522
100
27
22,000
44,000
Williston State
Williston
ND
626
100
86
17,500
35,000
Oregon State
Corvallis
OR
18,554
82
72
42,000
174,000
Oregon
Eugene
OR
17,419
82
59
53,000
220,500
Portland CC
Portland
OR
10,372
100
0
23,500
48,000
Portland State
Portland
OR
13,949
96
53
45,500
186,500
Black Hills State
Spearfish
SD
1,945
84
47
26,000
106,000
South Dakota State
Brookings
SD
7,971
90
53
25,500
103,500
South Dakota
Vermillion
SD
4,899
86
63
26,000
107,500
BYU-Provo
Provo
UT
28,288
67
49
19,500
80,000
Utah State
Logan
UT
17,063
91
73
25,000
101,500
Utah Valley
Orem
UT
19,799
100
43
19,000
78,000
Utah
Salt Lake City
UT
18,628
62
70
43,500
179,500
Weber State
Ogden
UT
11,854
100
72
30,500
124,500
Central Washington
Ellensburg
WA
9,977
85
71
37,500
154,000
Washington State
Pullman
WA
23,092
76
74
43,000
179,500
Washington
Seattle
WA
29,332
52
40
57,000
236,500
Western Washington
Bellingham
WA
13,887
90
71
36,000
149,000
Casper
Casper
WY
1,497
100
32
11,500
22,500
Laramie County CC
Cheyenne
WY
1,603
100
52
12,000
24,500
Northwest College
Powell
WY
760
100
86
18,500
37,500
North Wyoming CC District
Sheridan
WY
1,517
100
61
16,000
32,000
Western Wyoming CC
Rock Springs
WY
1,005
100
53
11,500
23,500
Wyoming
Laramie
WY
8,332
96
72
17,000
69,000
Western Governors
Salt Lake City
UT
98,630
100
0
13,000
52,000
2022-23 projected average net cost for selected colleges including both in- and out-of-state schools.
National Online Colleges
Online education has been a growing trend in undergraduate education and is expected to increase in the future. Most of the schools included in this report have portions of their traditional class load presented online. Several large national online colleges have established themselves. Most popular among older undergraduates, these colleges are accessible to all students wherever they live. The list below provides details about these schools and their costs. These schools are almost all open admission, often with rolling classes that allow students to start their degrees weeks after applying.
wdt_ID
Name
Location
Number of Undergraduates (total)
Number of Undergraduates (online only)
2020 Tuition & fees, In-state
2020 tuition & fees, Out-of-state
1
Western Governors
UT
88,921
88,921
7,100
7,100
2
Southern New Hampshire
NH
82,693
76,904
9,600
9,600
3
American Public University
WV
37,746
37,746
9,200
9,200
4
Maryland- Global Campus
MD
47,253
36,385
9,325
15,295
5
Grand Canyon University
AZ
54,139
36,273
14,750
14,750
6
Liberty University
VA
45,935
32,614
12,098
12,098
7
Strayer
Multiple
34,395
30,789
14,930
14,930
8
Arizona Global Campus
CA
28,701
28,701
16,450
16,450
9
Purdue Global
IA
97,404
26,505
13,290
17,385
10
Brigham Young-Idaho
ID
42,341
21,171
1,920
1,920
Glossary
Cost of Attendance – Full tuition, room, board, fees and an estimate of supplies. The maximum a student can receive or borrow from a Federal Title IV program is the cost of attendance at the college where they enroll.
Federal student financing– Classified as Title IV aid, the US Department of Education finances higher education through several programs, some which obligate the borrower to repay the amount (loans) and some that do not need to be repaid (grants). Loans made through this program are NOT dischargeable in bankruptcy. Major federal programs include:
Pell Grants – Up to $6,345 in 2020/21 calculated based on the student’s FAFSA filing EFC. The lower your EFC, the more in Pell Grants you can receive. Generally, families with incomes below about $90,000 will be eligible for Pell Grants, with declining amount of grants as income and assets increase.
Direct Subsidized Loans – Loans from the federal government that do not accrue interest while the student is enrolled in college and begin to accrue interest when the student graduates or leaves school. In 2020/21, Direct Subsidized Loans charged an interest rate of 2.75%, which is fixed for the life of the loan, and had relatively low maximum amounts and a low 1.1% upfront cost. These loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans – Loans from the federal government that accrue interest while the student is enrolled in college. In 2020/21, Direct Unsubsidized Loans charged an interest rate of 2.75%, which is fixed for the life of the loan, and had relatively low maximum amounts and a low 1.1% upfront cost. These loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy.
Direct PLUS loans – Loans from the federal government to the parent of the undergraduate. Larger amounts can be borrowed under this PLUS program compared to the Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized programs described above, covering need up to the Cost of Attendance. In 2020/21, Direct Subsidized and Unsibsidized Loans charged an interest rate of 7.1%, which is fixed for the life of the loan. The loan costs 4.2% upfront, so add that amount to your college costs if you borrow using this program. These loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy.
Full tuition – The maximum a college has decided to charge its undergraduates. Colleges often lower the actual cost on a student-by-student basis for the reasons stated earlier.
Room & board – Traditional undergraduate education usually includes on-campus lodging and meals. This room and board is included in the net cost found here. Schools also provide estimates of room, board and living costs for students living off campus. These estimates vary widely even for colleges close to one other.