Public universities charge students from other states much more than residents, often two to three times as much. Among the 100 public universities that received the most applications for fall 2024, published out-of-state tuition and fees run from $15,290 a year at CUNY City College to $60,946 at the University of Michigan, before any aid.
Out-of-state tuition at 100 public universities, lowest to highest
These are the 100 public universities with the most applicants for fall 2024 (at least 25,000 each), listed from the lowest published out-of-state price to the highest.
| University | State | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY City College | NY | $7,340 | $15,290 | $7,950 |
| CUNY Hunter College | NY | $7,382 | $15,332 | $7,950 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | NY | $7,452 | $15,402 | $7,950 |
| CUNY Baruch College | NY | $7,464 | $15,414 | $7,950 |
| Florida Atlantic University | FL | $4,879 | $17,324 | $12,445 |
| University of South Florida | FL | $6,410 | $17,324 | $10,914 |
| Kennesaw State University | GA | $5,808 | $17,736 | $11,928 |
| Florida State University | FL | $5,656 | $18,786 | $13,130 |
| Florida International University | FL | $6,565 | $18,964 | $12,399 |
| California State University-Los Angeles | CA | $7,160 | $19,760 | $12,600 |
| California State University-Long Beach | CA | $7,350 | $19,950 | $12,600 |
| California State University-Northridge | CA | $7,458 | $20,058 | $12,600 |
| California State University-Fullerton | CA | $7,470 | $20,070 | $12,600 |
| Cal Poly Pomona | CA | $7,780 | $20,380 | $12,600 |
| San Francisco State University | CA | $7,950 | $20,550 | $12,600 |
| California State University-Sacramento | CA | $8,018 | $20,618 | $12,600 |
| North Carolina A&T State University | NC | $6,813 | $20,673 | $13,860 |
| San Jose State University | CA | $8,410 | $21,010 | $12,600 |
| University of North Texas | TX | $11,309 | $21,149 | $9,840 |
| San Diego State University | CA | $8,728 | $21,328 | $12,600 |
| Grand Valley State University | MI | $15,140 | $21,548 | $6,408 |
| University of Texas at San Antonio | TX | $9,011 | $22,051 | $13,040 |
| University of Central Florida | FL | $6,368 | $22,467 | $16,099 |
| University of Houston | TX | $9,717 | $22,547 | $12,830 |
| Texas State University | TX | $11,450 | $22,930 | $11,480 |
| East Carolina University | NC | $7,361 | $23,638 | $16,277 |
| Texas Tech University | TX | $11,852 | $24,451 | $12,599 |
| Ohio University | OH | $14,158 | $24,838 | $10,680 |
| Georgia State University | GA | $8,664 | $24,840 | $16,176 |
| Montclair State University | NJ | $15,912 | $26,022 | $10,110 |
| University of Mississippi | MS | $9,772 | $28,600 | $18,828 |
| LSU | LA | $11,954 | $28,631 | $16,677 |
| University of Florida | FL | $6,381 | $28,659 | $22,278 |
| Purdue University | IN | $9,992 | $28,794 | $18,802 |
| University of Cincinnati | OH | $13,976 | $29,310 | $15,334 |
| Northern Arizona University | AZ | $13,009 | $29,881 | $16,872 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | IL | $14,338 | $29,884 | $15,546 |
| Washington State University | WA | $13,391 | $29,950 | $16,559 |
| University of Arkansas | AR | $10,104 | $29,966 | $19,862 |
| Binghamton University | NY | $10,567 | $30,447 | $19,880 |
| University of Utah | UT | $9,620 | $30,860 | $21,240 |
| University at Albany | NY | $10,866 | $31,256 | $20,390 |
| University at Buffalo | NY | $10,936 | $31,536 | $20,600 |
| James Madison University | VA | $14,250 | $31,604 | $17,354 |
| University of Georgia | GA | $11,450 | $31,688 | $20,238 |
| Stony Brook University | NY | $10,931 | $32,741 | $21,810 |
| NC State | NC | $8,799 | $32,847 | $24,048 |
| Arizona State University | AZ | $12,223 | $33,139 | $20,916 |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | TN | $13,812 | $33,256 | $19,444 |
| University of Iowa | IA | $11,283 | $33,371 | $22,088 |
| University of Kentucky | KY | $13,502 | $34,140 | $20,638 |
| University of Alabama | AL | $12,180 | $34,172 | $21,992 |
| Georgia Tech | GA | $12,058 | $34,484 | $22,426 |
| Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | CA | $13,596 | $34,665 | $21,069 |
| Colorado State University | CO | $13,373 | $34,783 | $21,410 |
| Auburn University | AL | $12,890 | $34,922 | $22,032 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $16,004 | $35,124 | $19,120 |
| University of South Carolina | SC | $12,688 | $35,972 | $23,284 |
| Rutgers University-Newark | NJ | $17,250 | $36,762 | $19,512 |
| University of Rhode Island | RI | $16,942 | $37,146 | $20,204 |
| Rutgers University-Camden | NJ | $17,764 | $37,276 | $19,512 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $17,929 | $37,441 | $19,512 |
| Virginia Tech | VA | $15,948 | $37,764 | $21,816 |
| Oregon State University | OR | $14,400 | $38,190 | $23,790 |
| College of Charleston | SC | $12,978 | $38,296 | $25,318 |
| University of Minnesota | MN | $17,214 | $38,362 | $21,148 |
| George Mason University | VA | $14,220 | $38,688 | $24,468 |
| Temple University | PA | $23,011 | $38,958 | $15,947 |
| Ohio State University | OH | $13,244 | $40,022 | $26,778 |
| Texas A&M University | TX | $13,154 | $40,124 | $26,970 |
| University of Texas at Dallas | TX | $14,644 | $40,144 | $25,500 |
| UMass Amherst | MA | $17,772 | $40,449 | $22,677 |
| Clemson University | SC | $15,554 | $40,866 | $25,312 |
| University of Maryland | MD | $11,809 | $41,186 | $29,377 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | $8,994 | $41,203 | $32,209 |
| Miami University (Ohio) | OH | $18,161 | $41,221 | $23,060 |
| University of Delaware | DE | $16,810 | $41,400 | $24,590 |
| University of Pittsburgh | PA | $21,926 | $41,430 | $19,504 |
| Penn State (University Park) | PA | $20,644 | $41,790 | $21,146 |
| Indiana University Bloomington | IN | $12,144 | $41,891 | $29,747 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $11,603 | $42,103 | $30,500 |
| University of Arizona | AZ | $13,926 | $42,278 | $28,352 |
| University of Washington | WA | $12,973 | $43,209 | $30,236 |
| University of Connecticut | CT | $21,044 | $43,712 | $22,668 |
| Michigan State University | MI | $16,458 | $43,842 | $27,384 |
| University of Oregon | OR | $16,137 | $44,598 | $28,461 |
| University of Texas at Austin | TX | $11,688 | $44,908 | $33,220 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | CO | $15,666 | $44,918 | $29,252 |
| University of Vermont | VT | $19,058 | $45,502 | $26,444 |
| UCLA | CA | $15,203 | $49,403 | $34,200 |
| UC Riverside | CA | $15,606 | $49,806 | $34,200 |
| UC Merced | CA | $15,623 | $49,823 | $34,200 |
| UC Irvine | CA | $15,722 | $49,922 | $34,200 |
| UC Santa Cruz | CA | $16,005 | $50,205 | $34,200 |
| UC Berkeley | CA | $16,347 | $50,547 | $34,200 |
| UC Santa Barbara | CA | $16,414 | $50,614 | $34,200 |
| UC San Diego | CA | $16,758 | $50,958 | $34,200 |
| UC Davis | CA | $16,774 | $50,974 | $34,200 |
| University of Virginia | VA | $21,803 | $59,512 | $37,709 |
| University of Michigan | MI | $17,736 | $60,946 | $43,210 |
Sources: IPEDS (undergraduate enrollment; admissions for the fall 2024 entering class); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
Why students from other states pay more
Public universities are funded in part by their states, so state residents pay a lower rate. Students from elsewhere don't have that state support built into their price. The gap varies a great deal: 29 of these universities charge out-of-state students less than $25,000 a year, while 32 charge $40,000 or more.
What the published price leaves out
- Aid. These are prices before grants and scholarships. Many public universities offer merit scholarships to out-of-state students, and some are generous. It's worth asking each one what a student like you typically receives.
- Housing and food. Tuition and fees are only part of the bill. Each university publishes a full cost of attendance, which adds housing, food, books and travel.
- Regional discounts. If you live in the West, the South, parts of the Midwest or New England, a regional program may lower the out-of-state rate for some colleges or majors. See WUE, Academic Common Market and other ways to pay less out of state.
Is an out-of-state public university worth it?
That depends on fit and on what your family would actually pay. A university that suits you, at a price that works after aid, matters far more than the sticker price. A good next step is each university's net price calculator, which estimates your cost from your family's finances.
Lens helps you understand which kinds of colleges fit you, using seven research-backed assessments, before you build your list. Start with Lens →
FAQ
Which public universities have the lowest out-of-state tuition? Among these 100, the four City University of New York colleges on the list (City, Hunter, Brooklyn and Baruch) charge about $15,300 a year, followed by Florida Atlantic University and the University of South Florida ($17,324 each) and Kennesaw State University ($17,736).
Which public universities have the highest out-of-state tuition? The University of Michigan ($60,946), the University of Virginia ($59,512) and the University of California campuses (about $49,400 to $51,000).
How much is Penn State's out-of-state tuition? Published tuition and fees at Penn State's University Park campus are $41,790 a year for out-of-state students and $20,644 for Pennsylvania residents, before any aid.
How much is the University of Michigan's out-of-state tuition? $60,946 a year for out-of-state students and $17,736 for Michigan residents, before any aid.
Can out-of-state students get in-state tuition? Usually only by becoming a legal resident of that state, and the rules for students who move there to attend college are strict. Each university's residency office explains its rules. Regional exchange programs and merit scholarships are more common ways to lower the price.
Related
- Out-of-state acceptance rates at public universities
- WUE, Academic Common Market and other ways to pay less out of state
- What are the Public Ivies?
- Big Ten schools: the 18 universities and how they differ
- SEC schools: the 16 universities and how they differ
- ACC schools: the 18 universities and how they differ