What is the average cost of state college?

For state residents, the average annual tuition at a four-year public college or university in 2022-2023 was $10,490. For out-of-state students, state school tuition cost about $24,000 a year, on average.2

How much has the cost of college increased?

College tuition has more than tripled since the 1960s — that's accounting for inflation. Room and board expenses have almost doubled.

Average Cost of College: Facts and Statistics

Updated on December 20, 2024

Edited by

• Fact-checked by Marley Rose

Learn more about our editorial process

On average, college costs more than $150,000 over four years, but the actual cost varies widely by school type. Find average costs associated with college in our report.

Credit: Image Credit: Peter Cade / Photodisc / Getty Images

Data Summary

The average total cost for a year of college at a four-year school — including tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses — was $38,270, or about $153,000 over four years.^{Note Reference [1]}
In 2022-2023, four-year public universities charged an average of $10,490 per year in tuition and fees for in-state residents and $24,000 for out-of-state students.^{Note Reference [2]}
Private universities charged an average of $46,870 in tuition and fees per year.^{Note Reference [2]}
The average net cost of college after financial aid was $14,270 at four-year public schools, $27,950 at four-year private colleges, and $7,800 at two-year public colleges.^{Note Reference [3]}

Over the decades, the price tag of getting a college degree has skyrocketed. Several factors can make your college education more or less expensive. Knowing them can help you plan your education.

Below, we’ve collected facts and figures about the cost of college, from average yearly tuition rates to pricing for textbooks and dorms, plus how expenses differ across states and school types.

Average Cost of College in the U.S.

The cost of college includes more than tuition alone. It also includes textbooks and supplies, college dorm or off-campus living expenses, and other student expenses like transportation.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports the average total cost of attending college for first-time undergrads based on students’ living arrangements: on campus, off campus, or off campus with family.

Four-year schools are generally more expensive than two-year schools. At four-year schools, a year of total college expenses for students living on campus averaged $38,270, or about $153,000 over four years.

Public two-year schools cost an average of $20,900 per year — or roughly $41,800 over two years — for students living off campus.^{Note Reference [1]}

Cost of College Over Time

Even accounting for inflation, college costs have more than doubled since the 1960s. From 1963-2021, the total price tag for college increased by more than 135% or roughly 2.4 times.^{Note Reference [4]}

Explore More Rising Tuition Statistics

Average College Tuition

According to Peterson’s Data, the average cost of tuition and fees across all public and private nonprofit colleges was roughly $21,130 in the 2022-2023 academic year.^{Note Reference [2]}

The average two-year public college costs in-district residents $6,730 a year in tuition and fees.
The average four-year public college or university costs state residents roughly $10,490 a year and out-of-state residents $24,000.
Four-year private colleges cost students $46,870 a year in tuition and fees, on average.

Average Annual College Tuition and Fees, 2022-2023
School Type	In-State Average	Out-of-State Average
Two-Year Public	$6,730	$12,860
Four-Year Public	$10,490	$24,000
Two-Year Private Nonprofit	$42,670
Four-Year Private Nonprofit	$46,870

Source: Peterson’s Data^{Note Reference [2]}

Private for-profit colleges tend to be more expensive than public colleges but less costly than nonprofit schools. The most recently available data from NCES reports that the average annual tuition at for-profit colleges was $15,870 at four-year schools and $16,440 at two-year schools.^{Note Reference [4]}

Net Cost of College

The sum of tuition and other college expenses still doesn’t tell the whole story of what students pay for school. That’s because students can take advantage of scholarships and grants to subsidize the cost of college.

The average net cost of college in 2021-2022 was $14,270 at four-year public schools, $27,950 at four-year private colleges, and $7,800 at two-year public colleges.

The table below represents the average cost of college minus aid from scholarships or grants across all income levels. Keep in mind the amount of aid students receive depends on their income level.

Average Net Cost of College, 2021-2022
School Type	Average Net Cost for One Year of College
Four-Year Public	$14,270
Four-Year Private Nonprofit	$27,950
Four-Year Private For-Profit	$23,000
Two-Year Public	$7,800
Two-Year Private Nonprofit	$19,860
Two-Year Private For-Profit	$23,660

Source: NCES^{Note Reference [3]}

Average Cost of College by School Type

The cost of college varies by school type, like public vs. private and two-year vs. four-year schools. In this section, we dig into cost differences by school category.

Average Public College Tuition: In-State vs. Out-of-State

Public colleges and universities receive funding from state taxpayers. This funding allows public colleges to charge lower tuition rates than private institutions. However, lower rates only apply to students who are state residents, resulting in a steep difference between in-state vs. out-of-state tuition.

On average, out-of-state tuition at four-year public colleges is about 2.5 times that of in-state tuition.^{Note Reference [2]}

U.S. Average Public College Annual Tuition and Fees for In-State and Out-of-State Students, 2022-2023
	In-State Students	Out-of-State Students
Two-Year Public Institution	$6,730	$12,860
Four-Year Public Institution	$10,490	$24,000

Source: Peterson’s Data^{Note Reference [2]}

Average Private College Tuition: Nonprofit vs. For-Profit College

Unlike public colleges, private schools earn money primarily through tuition and donors. But there are different types of private colleges. Private nonprofit schools invest the money they receive in the school’s offerings. Private for-profit schools give earnings to investors.

On average, private for-profit colleges have lower tuition rates. However, private nonprofit institutions generally award much higher grants to students. These schools are also more likely to award financial aid to students. Per NCES, about 82% of students attending private nonprofit schools received institutional grants as of 2022, compared to just 25% of students at private for-profit schools.^{Note Reference [5]}

Cost of Ivy League and Other Elite Colleges in 2023-2024

Some of the nation’s most selective and esteemed institutions, such as Ivy League and other elite schools, have the highest tuition rates. At the same time, these schools often provide large financial aid packages.

Learn more about the country’s most expensive colleges.

Average Annual Costs and Net Price of Ivy League and Other Select Top Schools for Full-Time, First-Year Undergraduates, 2023-2024
School	Average Tuition and Fees	Average Total Cost (On-Campus)	Average Grant or Scholarship Aid Awarded (2021-2022)	Average Net Price After Aid (2021-2022)
Amherst College	$67,280	$87,640	$58,690	$21,370
Bowdoin College	$64,910	$85,100	$53,530	$22,780
Brown University	$68,230	$87,650	$55,850	$26,720
Columbia University	$69,045	$89,590	$61,060	$22,060
Cornell University	$66,010	$88,140	$54,220	$26,060
Duke University	$65,810	$87,070	$57,440	$23,690
Harvard University	$59,080	$86,710	$61,800	$19,490
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$60,160	$82,730	$45,590	$20,230
Princeton University	$59,710	$84,040	$59,790	$18,700
Stanford University	$62,480	$87,830	$60,620	$18,280
University of Pennsylvania	$66,100	$89,030	$57,180	$26,120
Yale University	$64,700	$88,300	$63,520	$18,650

Source: NCES^{Note Reference [6]}

Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest $10.

Average Cost of Online College

Students at online colleges may escape some fees related to on-campus services. However, online learners usually incur many of the same expenses as on-campus learners and may even have additional fees to consider, such as those related to technology.

Net Price of Online College

There are 65 degree-conferring distance-learning-only institutions in the NCES College Navigator database.^{Note Reference [6]}

Of those, 37 reported the net cost of attendance for full-time, first-year undergraduate students in 2022-2023.

Of those 38 reporting distance-learning-only schools:

The average net cost of attendance for full-time, first-year undergraduate students was about $17,140.
As with in-person schools, public schools were less expensive than private schools, on average.
Unlike in-person colleges, online private for-profit schools were more expensive than online private nonprofit schools, on average.

Average Cost of College by State

As of 2022-2023, states with the most expensive average cost of college for state residents at four-year public colleges were in the Northeast. These states’ average all-in price tags were roughly twice the cost of the least expensive states’.^{Note Reference [7]}

States with the priciest four-year public colleges are:

Vermont ($30,890)
Connecticut ($30,050)
New Hampshire ($30,040)
New Jersey ($29,390)
Massachusetts ($29,260)

Four-year public college is least expensive for residents in the following states:

Wyoming ($15,240)
Utah ($16,030)
Florida ($16,090)
South Dakota ($17,360)
Idaho ($17,960)

States with the highest average tuition at four-year private schools were:

Massachusetts ($71,560)
Rhode Island ($66,530)
Vermont ($65,790)
Maryland ($64,280)
New York ($63,510)

Average Cost of College by State, 2022-2023

State⇅	Four-Year Public (For State Residents)⇅	Four-Year Public (Non-Residents)⇅	Four-Year Private⇅	Two-Year Public (District Residents)⇅
Alabama	$22,204	$28,315	$28,575	$5,039
Alaska	$21,484	$24,410	28,767	No Data
Arizona	$25,834	$28,506	$23,661	$2,160
Arkansas	$19,470	$23,091	$33,930	$3,657
California	$24,925	$32,967	$58,515	$1,286
Colorado	$23,843	$32,476	$42,065	$3,426
Connecticut	$30,046	$37,907	$61,279	$4,758
Delaware	$26,424	$33,812	22,978	No Data
District of Columbia	$6,152	$13,004	65,211	No Data
Florida	$16,088	$17,831	$45,156	No Data

…

College Expenses Beyond Tuition

Students have lives outside of the classroom, so they have expenses beyond just tuition. Each college student’s budget depends on their individual circumstances, but here’s the data behind typical college costs.

Cost of Room and Board in College

Room and board refers to the cost of on-campus housing (room) plus a meal plan (board). Depending on where you live, it could be cheaper or costlier to rent an apartment off campus. National data suggests that, on average, the costs are pretty similar.

In 2022-2023, the average total cost for room and board for one college student for one year was:^{Note Reference [1]}

$12,320 on campus
$12,270 off campus

Cost of College Textbooks and Supplies

In 2022-2023, schools estimated that the average cost for a year of books and supplies was $1,290.2 However, students reported to the National Association of College Stores that they spend less than $300 a year on textbooks, on average.

Students can save money on textbooks by renting books or buying them used.

Transportation Costs

According to CollegeBoard, in 2024-2025, college students’ transportation costs ranged from roughly $1,150-$2,000.^{Note Reference [8]} As expected, commuter students reported spending more on transportation than students living on campus.

Other Costs in College

NCES’ “other expenses” category includes many diverse, sometimes hidden costs of college, such as entertainment, laundry, dorm supplies, loan fees, study abroad, childcare, healthcare expenses, and more.

In 2022-2023, the average “other” expenses for first-year, on-campus college students across all four-year schools were roughly $3,410.^{Note Reference [1]}
Students living off campus had higher “other” expenses, averaging $4,790.^{Note Reference [1]}

Frequently Asked Questions About the Cost of College

The average total cost of college in 2022-2023 was $38,270 per year.1 That’s about $153,000 over four years. Generally, tuition at private colleges and universities is higher than at public universities.

However, many students receive financial aid through scholarships or grants, which lowers their net expenses. In 2021-2022, the average price of college after scholarships and grants was about $14,270 for public and $27,950 for private nonprofit colleges.^{Note Reference [3]}