The Most Expensive College in Every State

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 this fall. 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 in 2020.

Alabama: Spring Hill College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $41,868
• Annual cost of room and board: $14,062
• Total cost: $55,930

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

Arizona: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $37,964
• Annual cost of room and board: $12,174
• Total cost: $50,138

Arkansas: Hendrix College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $49,490
• Annual cost of room and board: $12,820
• Total cost: $62,310

California: Harvey Mudd College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,660
• Annual cost of room and board: $18,679
• Total cost: $77,339

Colorado: Colorado College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,864
• Annual cost of room and board: $13,392
• Total cost: $74,256

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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

Delaware: University of Delaware

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $36,080
• Annual cost of room and board: $13,472
• Total cost: $49,552

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

Florida: University of Miami

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $53,682
• Annual cost of room and board: $15,470
• Total cost: $69,152

Georgia: Emory University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $53,868
• Annual cost of room and board: $15,242
• Total cost: $69,110

Hawaii: Hawaii Pacific University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $27,500
• Annual cost of room and board: $18,700
• Total cost: $46,200

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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

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

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

Iowa: Grinnell College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $56,680
• Annual cost of room and board: $6,548
• Total cost: $63,228

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

Kentucky: Centre College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $44,300
• Annual cost of room and board: $11,170
• Total cost: $55,470

Louisiana: Tulane University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,850
• Annual cost of room and board: $16,248
• Total cost: $75,098

Maine: Bates College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,456
• Annual cost of room and board: $15,074
• Total cost: $73,530

Find Out: Most Affordable Private Colleges in Every State

Maryland: Johns Hopkins University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $57,510
• Annual cost of room and board: $16,800
• Total cost: $74,310

Massachusetts: Tufts University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,862
• Annual cost of room and board: $15,630
• Total cost: $76,492

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

Minnesota: Carleton College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $59,352
• Annual cost of room and board: $15,147
• Total cost: $74,499

Mississippi: Millsaps College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $41,314
• Annual cost of room and board: $14,210
• Total cost: $55,524

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

Montana: Carroll College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $37,262
• Annual cost of room and board: $10,262
• Total cost: $47,524

Good Options: The Best College Majors If You Don’t Want Any Financial Regrets

Nebraska: Creighton University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $43,118
• Annual cost of room and board: $11,600
• Total cost: $54,718

Nevada: Sierra Nevada University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $35,508
• Annual cost of room and board: $13,825
• Total cost: $49,333

New Hampshire: Dartmouth College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $59,458
• Annual cost of room and board: $17,022
• Total cost: $76,480

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

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

New York: Columbia University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $65,807
• Annual cost of room and board: $13,644
• Total cost: $79,451

North Carolina: Duke University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,488
• Annual cost of room and board: $17,484
• Total cost: $77,972

North Dakota: University of Jamestown

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $23,498
• Annual cost of room and board: $8,000
• Total cost: $31,498

Read More: These Top 5 Colleges Offer the Cheapest Out-of-State Tuition

Ohio: Oberlin College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,554
• Annual cost of room and board: $17,334
• Total cost: $75,888

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

Oregon: Reed College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,620
• Annual cost of room and board: $14,980
• Total cost: $75,600

Pennsylvania: Haverford College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,900
• Annual cost of room and board: $17,066
• Total cost: $75,966

Rhode Island: Brown University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $60,696
• Annual cost of room and board: $15,908
• Total cost: $76,604

South Carolina: Furman University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $52,092
• Annual cost of room and board: $14,122
• Total cost: $66,214

South Dakota: Augustana University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $33,960
• Annual cost of room and board: $8,057
• Total cost: $42,017

Tennessee: Vanderbilt University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $55,867
• Annual cost of room and board: $17,670
• Total cost: $73,537

Texas: Southern Methodist University

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $58,540
• Annual cost of room and board: $17,110
• Total cost: $75,650

Utah: Westminster College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $37,960
• Annual cost of room and board: $9,308
• Total cost: $47,268

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

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

Washington: Whitman College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $55,968
• Annual cost of room and board: $13,800
• Total cost: $69,768

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

Wisconsin: Beloit College

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $53,348
• Annual cost of room and board: $9,688
• Total cost: $63,036

Wyoming: University of Wyoming

• Annual cost of tuition and fees: $20,102
• Annual cost of room and board: $10,616
• Total cost: $30,718

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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.

About the Author

John Csiszar

After earning a B.A. in English with a Specialization in Business from UCLA, John Csiszar worked in the financial services industry as a registered representative for 18 years. Along the way, Csiszar earned both Certified Financial Planner and Registered Investment Adviser designations, in addition to being licensed as a life agent, while working for both a major Wall Street wirehouse and for his own investment advisory firm. During his time as an advisor, Csiszar managed over $100 million in client assets while providing individualized investment plans for hundreds of clients.

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