What does college actually cost?
Compare published tuition at 4,061 U.S. colleges, side by side, sorted by price. Official Department of Education data — not estimates.
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| College | In-state | Out-of-state | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haskell Indian Nations UniversityPublicLawrence, KS · Less than 2-year | $480 | $480 | Public |
| 2 | San Bernardino Valley CollegePublicSan Bernardino, CA · 2-year | $744 | $744 | Public |
| 3 | Tohono O'odham Community CollegePublicSells, AZ · 2-year | $932 | $932 | Public |
| 4 | United States Merchant Marine AcademyPublicKings Point, NY · Less than 2-year | $1,008 | $1,008 | Public |
| 5 | Barstow Community CollegePublicBarstow, CA · 2-year | $1,104 | $1,104 | Public |
| 6 | Taft CollegePublicTaft, CA · 2-year | $1,108 | $1,108 | Public |
| 7 | Copper Mountain Community CollegePublicJoshua Tree, CA · 2-year | $1,114 | $1,114 | Public |
| 8 | Antelope Valley Community College DistrictPublicLancaster, CA · Less than 2-year | $1,124 | $1,124 | Public |
| 9 | Woodland Community CollegePublicWoodland, CA · 2-year | $1,124 | $1,124 | Public |
| 10 | Imperial Valley CollegePublicImperial, CA · 2-year | $1,126 | $1,126 | Public |
| 11 | Yuba CollegePublicMarysville, CA · 2-year | $1,128 | $1,128 | Public |
| 12 | Lassen Community CollegePublicSusanville, CA · 2-year | $1,129 | $1,129 | Public |
| 13 | Luna Community CollegePublicLas Vegas, NM · 2-year | $1,130 | $1,538 | Public |
| 14 | Lake Tahoe Community CollegePublicSouth Lake Tahoe, CA · 2-year | $1,131 | $1,131 | Public |
| 15 | Compton CollegePublicCompton, CA · 2-year | $1,142 | $1,142 | Public |
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Questions
Is this what I will actually pay?
No — this is the sticker price. Published tuition is what a college charges before any aid. Most students pay considerably less after federal grants, state aid and school scholarships. Use each school's net price calculator (legally required on every U.S. college website) to estimate your real cost.
Why is out-of-state tuition so much higher?
Public colleges are funded partly by state taxes, so residents get a discount. Out-of-state students pay closer to the full cost, often two to three times more. Private colleges usually charge everyone the same rate regardless of where you live.
Does this include housing and food?
No. These are tuition and required fees only. Room, board, books, transportation and personal expenses typically add $10,000–$20,000 a year for students living on campus. Living at home can cut that almost entirely.
Where does this data come from?
IPEDS — the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, run by the U.S. Department of Education. Every college that receives federal student aid is legally required to report to it each year. We access it through the Urban Institute's public Education Data Portal. Current dataset: 2022.
How current is it?
The most recent complete IPEDS release is 2022. Tuition usually rises 2–4% a year, so treat these figures as a baseline for comparison and confirm current rates on the school's own website before applying.
Why do some colleges show a dash?
They did not report undergraduate tuition to IPEDS for 2022. That often happens with graduate-only institutions, specialized programs that charge per credit hour, or schools that were transitioning. Contact them directly.
Is this site free?
Completely free, no account. Ads keep it running.
How to actually lower the price
File the FAFSA, always. It is free and it is the gateway to federal grants, work-study and state aid. Some aid is first-come, first-served — file as early as you can.
Compare net price, not sticker price. A $55,000 private college that gives you $40,000 in aid is cheaper than a $20,000 public one that gives you nothing. Never eliminate a school based on the published number.
Consider two years at a community college. The cheapest schools on this site are almost all two-year publics. Finish your general requirements there, transfer to a four-year university, and the diploma looks identical.
In-state beats out-of-state, usually. The gap at public universities is often $15,000–$25,000 a year. Unless an out-of-state school is offering serious scholarship money, staying in state is the cheaper path.