When a baby is born, parents often open an account to save for their child’s college education. While they can’t project how much four years of college will cost 18 years down the road, one thing is certain when looking at today’s costs for tuition, room and board. The balance […]
When a baby is born, parents often open an account to save for their child’s college education. While they can’t project how much four years of college will cost 18 years down the road, one thing is certain when looking at today’s costs for tuition, room and board. The balance in the account might need to cover a sizable bill.
GOBankingRates looked at the most expensive college in every state by examining the price of attendance for an out-of-state student. GOBankingRates used National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data for the 2019-20 academic year and then checked each institution’s website for the annual cost of out-of-state tuition, fees, and room and board.
Results vary dramatically from state to state. Although the University of Wyoming, for instance, costs comparatively little — $30,718 including room and board — Columbia University in New York tops out at a whopping $79,451. Variances in total cost are not just based on tuition, however. The costs for room and board are all over the map, as well, with Hawaii Pacific University charging $18,700 while Grinnell College in Iowa asks for just $6,548.
If you’re trying to decide whether the costs justify the benefits at these expensive campuses, remember to factor in each school’s attendance policy going forward. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, you might be shelling out a lot of money for distance learning as some state aren’t even planning on opening schools into 2021.
Last updated: Nov. 17, 2020
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Alabama: Spring Hill College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $41,868
Annual cost of room and board: $14,062
Total cost: $55,930
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Alaska: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $26,640
Annual cost of room and board: $10,540
Total cost: $37,180
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Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.
Arkansas: Hendrix College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $49,490
Annual cost of room and board: $12,820
Total cost: $62,310
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California: Harvey Mudd College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,660
Annual cost of room and board: $18,679
Total cost: $77,339
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Colorado: Colorado College
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Connecticut: Wesleyan University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $59,716
Annual cost of room and board: $16,384
Total cost: $76,100
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Delaware: University of Delaware
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $36,080
Annual cost of room and board: $13,472
Total cost: $49,552
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District of Columbia: Georgetown University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,923
Annual cost of room and board: $14,726
Total cost: $75,649
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Florida: University of Miami
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $53,682
Annual cost of room and board: $15,470
Total cost: $69,152
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Georgia: Emory University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $53,868
Annual cost of room and board: $15,242
Total cost: $69,110
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Hawaii: Hawaii Pacific University
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Idaho: The College of Idaho
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $33,200
Annual cost of room and board: $10,300
Total cost: $43,500
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Illinois: The University of Chicago
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $59,298
Annual cost of room and board: $17,004
Total cost: $76,302
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Indiana: University of Notre Dame
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $57,699
Annual cost of room and board: $15,984
Total cost: $73,683
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Iowa: Grinnell College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $56,680
Annual cost of room and board: $6,548
Total cost: $63,228
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Kansas: Benedictine College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $32,230
Annual cost of room and board: $10,780
Total cost: $43,010
Pictured: Kansas City, Kansas, roughly an hour away from Atchison, Kansas, where Benedictine College is located
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Kentucky: Centre College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $44,300
Annual cost of room and board: $11,170
Total cost: $55,470
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Louisiana: Tulane University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,850
Annual cost of room and board: $16,248
Total cost: $75,098
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Maryland: Johns Hopkins University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $57,510
Annual cost of room and board: $16,800
Total cost: $74,310
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Massachusetts: Tufts University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,862
Annual cost of room and board: $15,630
Total cost: $76,492
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Michigan: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $52,266
Annual cost of room and board: $12,034
Total cost: $64,300
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Minnesota: Carleton College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $59,352
Annual cost of room and board: $15,147
Total cost: $74,499
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Mississippi: Millsaps College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $41,314
Annual cost of room and board: $14,210
Total cost: $55,524
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Missouri: Washington University in St. Louis
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $57,386
Annual cost of room and board: $17,402
Total cost: $74,788
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Nebraska: Creighton University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $43,118
Annual cost of room and board: $11,600
Total cost: $54,718
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Nevada: Sierra Nevada University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $35,508
Annual cost of room and board: $13,825
Total cost: $49,333
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New Hampshire: Dartmouth College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $59,458
Annual cost of room and board: $17,022
Total cost: $76,480
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New Jersey: Stevens Institute of Technology
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $55,952
Annual cost of room and board: $16,244
Total cost: $72,196
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New Mexico: St. John’s College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $35,935
Annual cost of room and board: $14,046
Total cost: $49,981
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New York: Columbia University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $65,807
Annual cost of room and board: $13,644
Total cost: $79,451
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North Carolina: Duke University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,488
Annual cost of room and board: $17,484
Total cost: $77,972
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North Dakota: University of Jamestown
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Ohio: Oberlin College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,554
Annual cost of room and board: $17,334
Total cost: $75,888
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Oklahoma: The University of Tulsa
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $44,085
Annual cost of room and board: $12,062
Total cost: $56,147
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Oregon: Reed College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,620
Annual cost of room and board: $14,980
Total cost: $75,600
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Pennsylvania: Haverford College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,900
Annual cost of room and board: $17,066
Total cost: $75,966
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Rhode Island: Brown University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,696
Annual cost of room and board: $15,908
Total cost: $76,604
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South Carolina: Furman University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $52,092
Annual cost of room and board: $14,122
Total cost: $66,214
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South Dakota: Augustana University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $33,960
Annual cost of room and board: $8,057
Total cost: $42,017
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Tennessee: Vanderbilt University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $55,867
Annual cost of room and board: $17,670
Total cost: $73,537
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Texas: Southern Methodist University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,540
Annual cost of room and board: $17,110
Total cost: $75,650
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Utah: Westminster College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $37,960
Annual cost of room and board: $9,308
Total cost: $47,268
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Vermont: Bennington College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,124
Annual cost of room and board: $16,840
Total cost: $74,964
Pictured: Bennington, Vermont
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Virginia: Washington and Lee University
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $57,285
Annual cost of room and board: $15,810
Total cost: $73,095
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Washington: Whitman College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $55,968
Annual cost of room and board: $13,800
Total cost: $69,768
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West Virginia: Bethany College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $32,040
Annual cost of room and board: $11,430
Total cost: $43,470
Pictured: Wheeling, West Virginia, roughly less than an hour away from Bethany, West Virginia, where Bethany College is located
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Wisconsin: Beloit College
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $53,348
Annual cost of room and board: $9,688
Total cost: $63,036
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Wyoming: University of Wyoming
Annual cost of tuition and fees: $20,102
Annual cost of room and board: $10,616
Total cost: $30,718
More From GOBankingRates
Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only.
Methodology: To discover the most expensive college in every state, GOBankingRates used the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data for the 2019-20 academic year to source the five most expensive institutions in terms of both total price for out-of-state students living on campus in 2019-20 and total price for out-of-state students living off campus (with family) in 2019-20. This methodology typically left a state with five to seven institutions for further study. Once these institutions were sourced, GOBankingRates checked each institution’s website for the following factors: (1) annual cost for out-of-state tuition and fees; (2) annual cost for on-campus room and board; and (3) the annual cost of out-of-state tuition and fees AND room and board. The institution from each state with the largest total for factor (3) was selected as the most expensive from that respective state. All data was collected and is up to date as of Aug. 12, 2020.
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