The Most Expensive Colleges in Every State

Without a doubt, going to college is expensive. For the 2017-2018 school year, the average cost for a public four-year college or university is $9,970, according to a recent College Board study. For a private four-year school, the study found the average cost is $34,740. Depending on which school you choose, it can cost even more than that.

Click through to see the most expensive college in your state, and find out if you can afford the costs.

Alabama: Spring Hill College

2016-2017 annual cost: $35,794

2017-2018 annual cost: $35,312

Although Alabama’s average public four-year college tuition is nothing to write home about, Spring Hill College tops it by about $25,000. Spring Hill is a Jesuit Catholic school located on Alabama’s Gulf Coast in Mobile. The student body totals just under 1,500 students, including almost 100 graduate students. It has a student-to-faculty ratio of 14 to 1.

Get Out of Debt: 15 Ways to Pay Off Student Loans

Alaska: Alaska Pacific University

2016-2017 annual cost: $20,310

2017-2018 annual cost: $20,350

Alaska Pacific University is a liberal arts and sciences university in Anchorage. In addition to its 175-acre main campus, the school also has a 900-acre private farm with a remote education center for additional hands-on learning opportunities. But, even though Alaska Pacific University is the most expensive school in Alaska, paychecks in Anchorage can stretch further to cover it.

Arizona: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

2016-2017 annual cost: $33,826

2018-2019 annual cost: $35,654

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott offers both bachelor’s and graduate degrees, although the vast majority of the school’s student body consists of undergraduates. The school’s four colleges include arts and sciences, aviation, engineering, and security and intelligence.

The good news for students and parents: The cost of living in Arizona is slightly lower than the U.S. overall, with housing costing 2.8 percent less than the nationwide average, a separate GOBankingRates study found.

Arkansas: Hendrix College

2016-2017 annual cost: $42,440

2018-2019 annual cost: $45,440

Hendrix College is located in the small Arkansas town of Conway and boasts a student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to 1. Hendrix was ranked the fourth most innovative national liberal arts college by U.S. News and World Report. And 100 percent of its enrolling students received some form of financial assistance.

California: Harvey Mudd College

2016-2017 annual cost: $52,666

2017-2018 annual cost: $54,347

Located in Claremont, Harvey Mudd College prides itself on its engineering, science and math majors that also require liberal arts coursework. The school’s 829 students represent 48 states and 26 foreign countries. Although tuition is high at Harvey Mudd College, there are ways you can pay for it without student loans.

Colorado: Colorado College

2016-2017 annual cost: $50,892

2017-2018 annual cost: $52,818

Colorado College in Colorado Springs enrolls just over 2,100 students. Colorado College offers students a unique way to study: Instead of taking multiple classes each semester, students take one course at a time for 3.5-week blocks.

High School Isn’t Cheap Either: Here Are the 50 Most Expensive High Schools in America

Connecticut: Trinity College

2016-2017 annual cost: $50,776

2017-2018 annual cost: $52,280

Trinity College in Hartford offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees for its 2,350 students. Trinity offers students over 40 majors and 27 minors to pick from.

Delaware: Wesley College

2016-2017 annual cost: $25,646

2017-2018 annual cost: $26,406

Wesley College was initially founded in 1873 and is Delaware’s oldest private college, but it didn’t offer four-year degrees until 1978. Students at Wesley College can study abroad at over 150 partner colleges around the world as part of their curriculum.

Florida: University of Miami

2016-2017 annual cost: $47,004

2017-2018 annual cost: $47,040

The University of Miami offers 115 bachelor’s degree programs, 114 master’s degree programs and 63 doctoral programs. Half of undergraduate classes have 16 or fewer students, and three-quarters of classes have 26 students or fewer.

Want More Financial Aid? Here’s How to Get It

Georgia: Emory University

2016-2017 annual cost: $47,954

2017-2018 annual cost: $48,690

Over 15,000 students attend Emory University, split almost evenly between undergraduate and graduate students. The school’s endowment is almost $7 billion as of Aug. 31, 2017.

Hawaii: Hawaii Pacific University

2016-2017 annual cost: $23,440

2017-2018 annual cost: $24,200

The average class size at Hawaii Pacific University is 17 students for lecture courses and 13 students for labs. The university also offers scholarships for esports that can be worth up to $6,000 per year for gamers.

Hawaii’s most expensive school costs less than the average private not-for-profit school, but be prepared: The cost of living in Hawaii is sky-high.

Idaho: Northwest Nazarene University

2016-2017 annual cost: $28,650

2017-2018 annual cost: $28,500

Northwest Nazarene University has about 2,000 students on campus and 6,000 students taking online courses for continuing education. The school is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene.

Illinois: The University of Chicago

2016-2017 annual cost: $53,649

2017-2018 annual cost: $53,292

The University of Chicago was founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1890. Today, over 5,600 undergraduates and nearly 10,000 graduate, professional and other students are enrolled there.

Indiana: University of Notre Dame

2016-2017 annual cost: $49,685

2017-2018 annual cost: $51,505

Undergraduate students at Notre Dame can choose from 75 different degree programs. Only 2 percent of first-year students do not return the following year, and Notre Dame boasts an overall graduation rate of 95 percent.

Iowa: Grinnell College

2016-2017 annual cost: $48,758

2017-2018 annual cost: $50,264

U.S. News and World Report ranked Grinnell College the 18th-best liberal arts college. It also ranked the college fourth best for both undergraduate teaching and most innovative school.

Kansas: Baker University

2016-2017 annual cost: $28,030

2017-2018 annual cost: $28,430

Baker University boasts a seven-to-one student-to-faculty ratio. About 80 percent of first-year students return for the second year, and 55 percent of students graduate.

Kentucky: Centre College

2016-2017 annual cost: $39,300

2017-2018 annual cost: $40,544

Centre College in Danville sees 85 percent of its students study abroad at least once and 25 percent study abroad multiple times. The college’s alumni make financial donations to the school at a rate unmatched by any other college or university.

Louisiana: Tulane University

2016-2017 annual cost: $51,010

2017-2018 annual cost: $52,960

Over 8,000 undergraduate students, and over 5,000 graduate and professional students attend Tulane University in New Orleans. The average financial aid package was over $40,000 for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Maine: Colby College

2016-2017 annual cost: $50,960

2017-2018 annual cost: $50,890

Colby College has two traditional semesters plus a January term for intensive study and cultural immersion opportunities. Colby’s campus has been carbon-neutral since 2013, making it the fourth school in the U.S. to accomplish that feat.

Maryland: St. John’s College

2016-2017 annual cost: $50,353

2018-2019 annual cost: $52,734

At St. John’s College in Annapolis, class sizes are small with fewer than 20 students. In addition, students can transfer between the Maryland campus and the Santa Fe, N.M., campus.

Massachusetts: Tufts University

2016-2017 annual cost: $52,430

2017-2018 annual cost: $53,152

Tufts University in Medford enrolls over 11,000 students, with slightly more graduate students than undergraduate students. The school has over 340 student organizations, and over 93 percent of students are involved in at least one.

Take Notes: Here’s How to Get More Money From FAFSA

Michigan: Kalamazoo College

2016-2017 annual cost: $44,857

2017-2018 annual cost: $46,350

Over 1,400 students attend Kalamazoo College, located 35 miles from Lake Michigan. Over 98 percent of student receive some form of financial aid, including 20 percent who receive Pell Grants.

Minnesota: Carleton College

2016-2017 annual cost: $50,874

2017-2018 annual cost: $52,476

Almost 2,000 students attend in Carleton College, and over half receive some type of financial aid. Over 90 percent of the faculty hold the highest degree in their field, teaching classes averaging 16 students.

Mississippi: Millsaps College

2016-2017 annual cost: $37,110

2018-2019 annual cost: $37,290

Millsaps College has a 100-acre campus in Jackson that offers over 30 majors and nearly 50 minors. The college offers an average class size of just 14 students and a 9-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Forget Student Loans: 9 Creative Ways to Pay for College

Missouri: Washington University in St. Louis

2016-2017 annual cost: $49,770

2017-2018 annual cost: $50,650

Washington University in St. Louis enrolls almost 13,000 students, with more than 3,600 faculty members teaching in over 300 academic programs. The school ranks in the top 10 for schools for entrepreneurs and has some of the best dorms in the country, according to the Princeton Review.

Speaking of entrepreneurs, Missouri is one of the best states to start a business, according to another GOBankingRates study.

Montana: Carroll College

2016-2017 annual cost: $33,192

2017-2018 annual cost: $33,500

Carroll College in Helena took home top marks for being the best regional college in the West as well as being named the second-best value school in the region, according to U.S. News and World Report. For outdoor-minded students, the school boasts 75 miles of hiking and biking trails five minutes from campus.

Nebraska: Creighton University

2016-2017 annual cost: $37,606

2017-2018 annual cost: $37,086

Omaha’s Creighton University was named a best value school and claimed the top spot for Midwest Regional Universities in the U.S. News and World Report annual rankings. The school also has several online programs that received special recognition, including its online MBA and non-MBA graduate business programs.

Get Your Degree: The Most Popular Online Degrees and How Much They Cost

Nevada: Sierra Nevada College

2016-2017 annual cost: $31,150

2017-2018 annual cost: $31,685

Sierra Nevada College, located along the north shore of Lake Tahoe, offers five departments: business, fine arts, humanities and social sciences, science and technology, and interdisciplinary studies. Nearly 90 percent of its students receive scholarships or grants.

New Hampshire: Dartmouth College

2016-2017 annual cost: $51,438

2017-2018 annual cost: $51,468

Dartmouth College has more than 40 departments and programs for its 4,300 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students. Dartmouth admissions are need-blind, though only 44 percent of students receive financial aid. Dartmouth is also the largest charitable organization in New Hampshire.

New Jersey: Stevens Institute of Technology

2016-2017 annual cost: $48,838

2017-2018 annual cost: $50,725

Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken has almost 7,000 students, with slightly more graduate students than undergraduate students. It has a 10-to-1 student-teacher ratio.

For the class of 2017, the average starting salary was almost $68,000, and 96 percent of alumni had a job within six months of graduating.

New Mexico: St. John’s College

2016-2017 annual cost: $50,878

2017-2018 annual cost: $51,200

St. John’s College in Santa Fe enrolls about 400 students. The school has a retention rate of 83 percent, but an overall graduation rate of just 49 percent.

New York: Columbia University

2016-2017 annual cost: $55,056

2017-2018 annual cost: $59,704

Columbia University dates back to 1754, when King George II of England chartered the school as King’s College, making it the fifth-oldest college in the country. It also tops the list as the most expensive college in the U.S. The school’s endowment is almost $10 billion as of the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

Did You Know? How to Go to Ivy League Schools for Free Online

North Carolina: Duke University

2016-2017 annual cost: $51,265

2017-2018 annual cost: $53,744

Duke University enrolls over 6,500 undergraduates and over 8,600 graduate and professional students each year. About half of the students receive financial aid. The most popular majors include public policy, economics, biology, biomedical engineering and computer science.

North Dakota: University of Jamestown

2016-2017 annual cost: $20,480

2018-2019 annual cost: $21,196

The University of Jamestown enrolls about 1,000 students in Jamestown, a town of about 17,000 people. The school awards nearly $9 million of financial aid each year.

Ohio: Oberlin College

2016-2017 annual cost: $52,002

2017-2018 annual cost: $52,762

Nearly 3,000 students attend Oberlin College, about 35 miles southwest of Cleveland. Over 85 percent of students who enroll full-time at Oberlin receive a degree within six years.

Oklahoma: University of Tulsa

2016-2017 annual cost: $41,509

2017-2018 annual cost: $40,484

The University of Tulsa enrolls over 4,500 students, with class sizes that average 22 students. It ranks fourth in the country for petroleum engineering graduate schools, according to U.S. News and World Report. Over 90 percent of first-year students return the following year, and 73 percent continue on to get a degree.

Oregon: Reed College

2016-2017 annual cost: $52,150

2017-2018 annual cost: $53,900

Reed College offers its approximately 1,400 students the opportunity to pick from 40 different liberal arts majors. Nearly 90 percent of first-year students return the following year, and almost 80 percent continue on to earn degrees.

Pennsylvania: Carnegie Mellon University

2016-2017 annual cost: $52,310

2017-2018 annual cost: $52,732

Carnegie Mellon University is a small school, with about 800 undergraduates and just over 300 graduate students. Over 70 percent of undergraduate students are involved in research, and the school has been home to 17 Nobel laureates.

Rhode Island: Brown University

2016-2017 annual cost: $51,366

2017-2018 annual cost: $52,231

Brown University in Providence has a total enrollment of over 9,300 students, including over 6,500 undergraduates. The school accepted fewer than 10 percent of undergraduate applicants for its class of 2020, and it has a 98 percent retention rate.

South Carolina: Furman University

2016-2017 annual cost: $47,164

2017-2018 annual cost: $47,968

Besides the top ranking for cost in the state, Furman University was also the top-ranked liberal arts school in South Carolina, according to U.S. News and World Report. The university claims a 97 percent job placement rate within six months of graduation, which helps tip the scales of whether college is worth the cost.

South Dakota: Augustana University

2016-2017 annual cost: $30,944

2017-2018 annual cost: $31,450

All of Augustana College students receive some form of financial aid, with the average first-year aid package totaling over $26,000. Of 2015 graduates who had federal student loans, the average indebtedness was $25,700, which is less than the South Dakota state average of $26,023 and the national average of $28,950.

Tennessee: Vanderbilt University

2016-2017 annual cost: $45,610

2017-2018 annual cost: $46,500

Vanderbilt University in Tennessee enrolls nearly 7,000 undergraduate students and over 5,000 graduate students. The College of Arts and Science is the most popular college, followed by the School of Engineering.

Texas: Southern Methodist University

2016-2017 annual cost: $50,358

2017-2018 annual cost: $52,498

Southern Methodist University’s main 234-acre campus is located just north of Dallas, but it also has a 423-acre campus in Carson National Forest for a more rural experience.

For the class of 2016, at the time of graduation, over two-thirds of students already had jobs or had been accepted to a graduate school program. Texas also ranks near the top of all states that spend the most on education.

Utah: Westminster College

2016-2017 annual cost: $32,404

2017-2018 annual cost: $33,040

Westminster College is located in Salt Lake City and has called its current location home since 1911. For full-time students, the school boasts a retention rate of nearly 80 percent, and over 60 percent of students who start at Westminster graduate.

Vermont: Landmark College

2016-2017 annual cost: $52,650

2017-2018 annual cost: $54,600

Landmark College is designed specifically for students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. The school’s enrollment is less than 500, and students receive more personal attention with a student-to-faculty ratio of six-to-one.

Virginia: University of Richmond

2016-2017 annual cost: $49,420

2017-2018 annual cost: $50,910

The University of Richmond ranks 23rd in U.S. News and World Report’s 2018 National Liberal Arts College list. In addition, it is one of the colleges with the most Pell Grant recipients to make the list, which helps reduce the need for student loans.

Washington: Whitman College

2016-2017 annual cost: $47,862

2017-2018 annual cost: $49,390

Whitman College is located in Walla Walla along the Washington-Oregon border. Whitman boasts a student-teacher ratio of 9-to-1. It also has a one-to-one student-to-tree ratio, with over 1,400 trees on campus.

West Virginia: University of Charleston

2016-2017 annual cost: $29,900

2017-2018 annual cost: $29,400

The University of Charleston enrolls nearly 2,500 students, including both graduate and undergraduate students, from over 40 different countries. The school’s retention rate after the first year is 66 percent.

Wisconsin: Beloit College

2016-2017 annual cost: $47,060

2017-2018 annual cost: $48,236

Beloit College has been around longer than Wisconsin has been a state. Ninety-seven percent of its faculty members hold a doctorate or the highest degree in their field. The school offers more than 50 majors, and the average class size is 15 students.

Wyoming: University of Wyoming

2016-2017 annual cost: $5,055

2017-2018 annual cost: $5,218

The University of Wyoming is the only public school to be named the most expensive school in a state. That’s not because it’s expensive — it’s easily the least expensive school on the list — but because it’s the only public or private not-for-profit school in the state.

Click through to read more about how average student loan debt varies by state.

Methodology: GOBankingRates identified the most expensive public four-year institution based on in-state tuition and the most expensive private not-for-profit four-year institution based on tuition for the 2016-2017 academic year, using data from the National Center for Education Statistics. We chose the most expensive school for each state, then went to each school’s individual website to source tuition costs for the 2017-2018 or 2018-2019 academic year, whichever was listed by the school.

About the Author

Michael Keenan

Michael Keenan is a writer based in the Kansas City area, specializing in personal finance, taxation, and business topics. He has been writing since 2009 and has been published by Quicken, TurboTax and The Motley Fool.

Read More