10 Cheapest US States To Go To College in 2024

Many people, no matter their age, are passionate about pursuing a college degree. Trouble is, unless you get a full ride via scholarships, a university education in the U.S. doesn’t come cheap. 

According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of attendance for a student living on campus at an in-state, public, four-year college is $27,146 per year, or $108,584 over four years. Out-of-state students pay $45,708 per year, or $182,832 over four years. Private, nonprofit university students pay $58,628 per year, or $234,512 over four years. As you can see, attending college can cost a lot of money.

Yet when it comes to the cost of a bachelor’s degree, not all states are the same. In fact, via their flagship universities, some states offer substantially lower costs for in-state students than others. Using data from the annual study published by College Board, which tracks trends in college pricing and financial aid, SoFi found the 10 states with the cheapest in-state tuition and fees at four-year flagship university programs over the 2023-2024 school year.

The states and their respective flagship universities are listed in order from most to least expensive, based on in-state tuition and fees. 

Also see the most expensive college in each state.

• Flagship university: University of Arkansas
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $28,770
• In-state tuition and fees: $9,750

• Flagship university: West Virginia University
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $27,360
• In-state tuition and fees: $9,650

• Flagship university: University of South Dakota
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $12,940
• In-state tuition and fees: $9,430

• Flagship university: University of Mississippi
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $26,980 
• In-state tuition and fees: $9,410

• Flagship university: University of Nevada, Reno
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $25,970
• In-state tuition and fees: $9,010

• Flagship university: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $39,340
• In-state tuition and fees: $9,000

• Flagship university: University of Idaho
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $28,050
• In-state tuition and fees: $8,820

• Flagship university: University of Montana
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $31,620
• In-state tuition and fees: $8,150

• Flagship University: University of Wyoming
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $22,480
• In-state tuition and fees: $6,700

• Flagship university: University of Florida
• Out-of-state tuition and fees: $28,660
• In-state tuition and fees: $6,380