Cost Analysis of US Colleges

College Costs Across the U.S.

Roughly 10,672,123 undergraduates attend four-year colleges across the United States.

The average annual cost of attendance works out to about $32,385 per student — but it varies widely by state. Scroll to explore.

The Cost of College by State

Vermont leads with an average cost of $63,753, followed by Massachusetts, Rhode Island.

At the other end, Wyoming is the least expensive at about $17,274.

The mix of public and private schools shifts by region. Private schools are most concentrated in Iowa, District of Columbia, Illinois.

Public institutions dominate in Wyoming, Washington, Montana.

Campus size varies too. The largest average enrollments are in Utah, New Hampshire, Arizona.

Smaller campuses are the norm in South Dakota, Maine, North Dakota.

Use the selector below to zoom into any state and see its college costs, public/private mix, and number of four-year schools.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (public domain). Four-year institutions.

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