How Much Private College Costs in Every State

July 23, 2024

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College isn’t cheap — especially at private schools.

The average cost of tuition and fees at a private four-year institution is $38,768 per year, according to Education Data Initiative. In comparison, tuition at a public four-year institution averages $9,750 per year.

While they have a high price tag, private schools can offer a number of benefits, including a specialized focus in a certain field, research opportunities and prestige.

If you — or your child — have your heart set on a private education, you may be relieved to know average tuition is much cheaper in some states than others. College applications can be time-consuming to complete and come with expensive processing fees, so it’s wise to conduct research to narrow down your search ahead of time.

No matter where you’re at in your educational journey, it’s never too early to start preparing financially for a private college. This will help you know exactly how much you should be saving each month, while also allowing you to potentially rule out certain schools that are out of your budget — at least without a substantial financial aid package.

GOBankingRates recently conducted a study on the cost of private colleges across the U.S., although data for Wyoming was not available so it is not included in this list. Here’s a breakdown of the average yearly cost, along with the most and least expensive private colleges in each state.

Alabama

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $26,195
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $16,119
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 62%

Alaska

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $26,788
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $19,315
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 72%

Arizona

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $22,419
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $12,711
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 57%

Today’s Top Offers

Arkansas

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $31,564
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $23,179
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 73%

California

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $49,860
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $35,524
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 71%

Colorado

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $36,285
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $23,560
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 65%

Connecticut

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $56,549
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $41,807
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

Delaware

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $26,709
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $14,758
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 55%

Florida

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $38,438
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $26,317
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 68%

Georgia

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $41,520
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $28,839
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 69%

Hawaii

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $29,781
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $17,098
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 57%

Today’s Top Offers

Idaho

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $13,157
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $6,139
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 47%

Illinois

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $46,552
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $33,454
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 72%

Indiana

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $45,382
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $33,402
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

Iowa

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $43,364
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $33,821
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 78%

Kansas

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $31,701
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $22,571
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 71%

Kentucky

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $37,081
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $27,648
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 75%

Louisiana

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $51,025
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $37,830
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

Maine

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $52,527
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $38,972
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

Today’s Top Offers

Maryland

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $57,222
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $43,141
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 75%

Massachusetts

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $61,747
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $46,018
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 75%

Michigan

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $38,074
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $27,936
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 73%

Minnesota

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $43,677
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $33,212
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 76%

Mississippi

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $26,352
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $17,953
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 68%

Missouri

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $35,803
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $25,417
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 71%

Montana

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $34,988
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $25,918
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

Today’s Top Offers

Nebraska

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $34,626
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $25,075
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 72%

Nevada

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $38,130
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $24,423
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 64%

New Hampshire

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $46,952
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $33,364
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 71%

New Jersey

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $51,045
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $37,329
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 73%

New Mexico

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $40,206
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $30,137
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 75%

New York

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $55,741
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $40,527
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 73%

North Carolina

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $46,268
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $33,990
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 73%

North Dakota

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $22,856
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $15,206
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 67%

Today’s Top Offers

Ohio

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $44,035
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $32,597
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

Oklahoma

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $37,447
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $27,694
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

Oregon

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $53,036
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $40,597
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 77%

Pennsylvania

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $55,248
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $41,703
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 75%

Rhode Island

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $57,076
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $42,108
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

South Carolina

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $35,174
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $25,621
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 73%

South Dakota

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $31,359
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $23,252
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 74%

Tennessee

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $38,571
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $28,080
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 73%

Today’s Top Offers

Texas

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $46,268
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $34,476
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 75%

Utah

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $15,804
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $7,852
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 50%

Vermont

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $57,137
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $44,068
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 77%

Virginia

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $34,470
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $23,380
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 68%

Washington

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $50,873
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $38,754
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 76%

West Virginia

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $21,892
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $12,513
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 57%

Wisconsin

Private 4-year college total average cost (includes room and board): $45,269
Private 4-year college total average cost (tuition and fees only): $34,424
% of total average cost that is tuition and fees: 76%

Jennifer Taylor contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates found the average price of a private 4-year college using data from the Education Data Initiative’s Average Cost of Private School. Using data collected from the 2021-2022 school year the average price of private colleges can be calculated. GOBankingRates used the tuition and fees, and total average cost to find the percentage of the total cost that is only tuition and fees. The total average cost was ranked from cheapest to most expensive state, and the average cost of tuition and fees was ranked from cheapest to most expensive state. Data for Wyoming was not available and omitted for this report. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 5, 2024.

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