United States · College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education · 2026 release
College cost by state, side by side
Every US state and DC, ranked on what a public 4-year college costs and what graduates earn back. In-state tuition runs from $4,317 in Florida to $17,394 in Vermont, a national net price of about $13,788 after aid against a median $56,427 in graduate earnings. Compare tuition, net price, earnings, debt and payback, by state.
The full ranking, by state
Cost next to what graduates earn and owe. Free to download, no sign-up.
| # | State | In-state tuition | Payback | Earns at 10yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermontpriciest | $17,394 | 4.3 yrs | $59,629 | $19,558 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $17,004 | 3.9 yrs | $63,186 | $26,523 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $16,878 | 3.4 yrs | $66,263 | $22,013 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $16,712 | 5.4 yrs | $60,263 | $24,746 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $16,534 | 3.1 yrs | $67,518 | $21,116 |
| 6 | Virginia | $15,802 | 3.0 yrs | $69,100 | $21,312 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $15,396 | 3.0 yrs | $66,065 | $21,771 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $15,054 | 3.4 yrs | $64,120 | $22,999 |
| 9 | Michigan | $14,844 | 2.8 yrs | $60,698 | $21,981 |
| 10 | Illinois | $14,676 | 2.3 yrs | $66,084 | $19,816 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $13,483 | 3.3 yrs | $62,335 | $20,069 |
| 12 | Oregon | $12,654 | 4.1 yrs | $57,745 | $19,498 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $12,457 | 4.9 yrs | $57,183 | $22,192 |
| 14 | Delaware | $12,427 | 3.4 yrs | $59,952 | $20,301 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $11,941 | 6.2 yrs | $50,855 | $22,025 |
| 16 | Maine | $11,782 | 8.3 yrs | $48,865 | $22,501 |
| 17 | Alabama | $11,606 | 6.4 yrs | $54,223 | $23,140 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $11,317 | 6.5 yrs | $50,992 | $20,469 |
| 19 | Iowa | $10,871 | 3.8 yrs | $62,821 | $22,286 |
| 20 | Ohio | $10,733 | 9.1 yrs | $48,854 | $19,397 |
| 21 | Missouri | $10,512 | 6.0 yrs | $51,903 | $18,548 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $10,499 | 4.6 yrs | $54,146 | $17,798 |
| 23 | Colorado | $10,418 | 4.5 yrs | $56,702 | $17,655 |
| 24 | Indiana | $10,372 | 3.5 yrs | $55,835 | $21,098 |
| 25 | Maryland | $10,102 | 2.9 yrs | $67,250 | $20,789 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $10,102 | 3.2 yrs | $61,274 | $21,463 |
| 27 | Kansas | $9,961 | 4.9 yrs | $55,124 | $20,608 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $9,907 | 3.5 yrs | $59,597 | $20,870 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $9,865 | 6.6 yrs | $50,879 | $22,671 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $9,727 | 11 yrs | $47,767 | $22,176 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $9,449 | 7.3 yrs | $50,360 | $20,801 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $9,429 | 5.1 yrs | $54,318 | $19,958 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $9,333 | 6.0 yrs | $49,815 | $21,897 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $8,957 | 7.2 yrs | $52,016 | $23,899 |
| 35 | Arizona | $8,954 | 4.5 yrs | $53,791 | $16,930 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $8,772 | 110 yrs | $42,220 | $17,537 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $8,603 | 5.7 yrs | $51,920 | $18,965 |
| 38 | New York | $8,531 | 2.2 yrs | $62,942 | $15,320 |
| 39 | Washington | $8,405 | 3.1 yrs | $57,744 | $14,658 |
| 40 | Montana | $8,122 | 11 yrs | $49,030 | $21,522 |
| 41 | Alaska | $8,000 | 6.2 yrs | $50,484 | $20,157 |
| 42 | Texas | $7,714 | 4.4 yrs | $52,641 | $15,752 |
| 43 | Utah | $7,700 | 3.2 yrs | $56,445 | $15,341 |
| 44 | California | $7,628 | 2.0 yrs | $61,362 | $12,848 |
| 45 | Idaho | $7,506 | 8.0 yrs | $49,417 | $17,814 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $7,382 | 4.2 yrs | $55,614 | $21,215 |
| 47 | Georgia | $7,162 | 3.9 yrs | $55,598 | $20,922 |
| 48 | Nevada | $6,948 | 5.8 yrs | $48,785 | $14,513 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $6,241 | 6.1 yrs | $49,021 | $13,912 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $5,662 | 17 yrs | $44,236 | $24,872 |
| 51 | Florida | $4,317 | 4.6 yrs | $49,324 | $13,219 |
Public 4-year institutions, enrollment-weighted. Earnings = median 10 years after entry. Debt = median federal debt at graduation. Payback = years for the earnings premium over a high-school graduate to recoup the public 4-year net price; see the methodology.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, 2026 release. Institution figures aggregated to state level, enrollment-weighted, for 4-year institutions. Payback uses a $41,800 high-school-graduate earnings baseline (NCES, ages 25-34, full-time year-round).
Browse college costs by state
A page for every state, with its tuition, net price, earnings, debt and payback.
Key statistics
Free to cite. A link back to the College Cost Index is appreciated.
- Nationally, a public four-year college's net price pays back in about 3.8 years from the earnings premium graduates earn over a high-school graduate, per the College Cost Index (2026 release).
- California has the fastest payback of any US state: its average public four-year net price recoups in about 2.0 years from the college earnings premium (College Cost Index, 2026 release).
- In 46 of 51 states (50 states plus DC), the average public college net price pays back in under nine years from the earnings premium (College Cost Index, 2026 release).
- In 30 of 51 states, a public four-year degree recoups its net price in under five years (College Cost Index, 2026 release).
- New Mexico has the slowest payback, over two decades, because its graduates' early-career earnings sit only just above the high-school baseline (College Cost Index, 2026 release).
- The national college earnings premium behind the payback is about $14,627 a year: median graduate earnings of $56,427 ten years after entry versus a $41,800 high-school-graduate baseline (College Cost Index; College Scorecard and NCES).
- The national public four-year net price is about $13,788 a year, roughly $55,152 over four years, recouped by the earnings premium in under four years on average (College Cost Index, 2026 release).
- Payback in the College Cost Index divides the four-year public net price by the college earnings premium (median graduate earnings minus a $41,800 high-school-graduate baseline; U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and NCES).
Frequently asked questions
How much does college cost per year by state?
At a public 4-year college, in-state tuition and fees average about $9,518 a year nationally, and out-of-state runs about $23,652. The real net price after grants and scholarships, which also includes living costs, averages about $13,788. Private nonprofit colleges list about $37,789 in tuition but net out to roughly $26,597. In-state tuition ranges from $4,317 in Florida to $17,394 in Vermont.
Which state has the cheapest and most expensive public college?
Florida has the lowest average in-state tuition at a public 4-year college, about $4,317 a year. Vermont is the highest at about $17,394. Use the ranking above to sort by in-state, out-of-state or net price and find your state.
Is college worth it? What do graduates earn and owe?
Ten years after starting, students from public 4-year colleges earn a median of about $56,427 a year nationally, and carry a median federal debt of about $17,856 at graduation. Both vary widely by state, so the ranking shows earnings and debt next to cost to compare value, not just price.
How many years does it take for college to pay for itself?
On average about 3.8 years for a public four-year college: the national net price (about $13,788 a year, roughly $55,152 over four years) divided by the roughly $14,627-a-year premium graduates earn over someone with only a high-school diploma. Payback is fastest in California (about 2.0 years) and slowest in New Mexico, where graduate earnings barely exceed the high-school baseline. It uses median earnings 10 years after entry and a $41,800 high-school-graduate earnings baseline from NCES.
What is the difference between tuition and net price?
Tuition and fees are the sticker price. Net price is what students actually pay: the full cost of attendance, including housing and living costs, minus the average grants and scholarships. That is why the national net price ($13,788) is higher than in-state tuition alone ($9,518). Net price is the more honest number for comparing what college really costs.