How much does it cost to attend college?

How much it costs to go to college is complicated. While a school might have a high cost of attendance, how much you actually pay could be low. For a more accurate picture of how much college might cost you, look at your school’s average financial aid package. Or use a calculator for a personalized estimate.

How much does college cost per year?

College can cost anywhere from $18,000 to over $50,000 a year depending on where you go to school, if you’re an in-state or out-of-state resident and if you attend a public or private university. Aside from tuition and fees, your school’s cost of attendance usually also includes room and board, books, transportation and other personal expenses.

Here was the average cost of college for a full-time undergraduate student living on or near campus for the 2019–2020 academic year, according to a 2019 College Board study.

• Average cost of college in 2019–20

  Cost	Private four-year school	Out-of-state public four-year school	In-state public four-year school	Public two-year school
  Tuition and fees	$36,880	$26,820	$10,440	$3,730
  Room and board	$12,990	$11,510	$11,510	$8,990
  Books and supplies	$1,240	$1,240	$1,240	$1,460
  Transportation	$1,060	$1,230	$1,230	$1,840
  Miscellaneous expenses	$1,810	$2,170	$2,170	$2,400
  Total	$53,980	$42,970	$26,590	$18,420

It was a quarter of the cost of attending a private school or a public school as an out-of-state student during the 2019–2020 academic year. And it was around 45% of the cost of public schools for in-state students and public two-year programs.

How much are tuition and fees at my state school?

State school costs can vary dramatically, depending on where you attend and if you’re an in-state or out-of-state student. It can cost as little as $6,350 as an in-state student in Florida and as much as $41,640 as an out-of-state student in Vermont. Here’s how much it costs across different states.

• Average in-state and out-of-state tuition

  In-state rank	Out-of-state rank	State	In-state tuition and fees	Out-of-state tuition and fees
  19	20	Alabama	$10,920	$27,520
  42	25	Alaska	$8,230	$25,550
  13	11	Arizona	$11,920	$31,320
  33	40	Arkansas	$9,030	$22,170
  26	8	California	$9,970	$31,750
  15	9	Colorado	$11,380	$31,670
  7	4	Connecticut	$13,660	$33,170
  10	6	Delaware	$13,290	$33,000
  49	41	Florida	$6,350	$21,990
  38	31	Georgia	$8,720	$24,650
  18	10	Hawaii	$10,980	$31,600
  43	27	Idaho	$8,000	$25,180
  5	23	Illinois	$14,170	$27,040
  27	16	Indiana	$9,670	$29,450
  29	22	Iowa	$9,360	$27,150
  31	35	Kansas	$9,200	$23,510
  20	26	Kentucky	$10,900	$25,530
  28	46	Louisiana	$9,610	$20,780
  21	18	Maine	$10,480	$27,640
  24	28	Maryland	$10,110	$24,920
  8	14	Massachusetts	$13,640	$30,030
  6	2	Michigan	$13,770	$37,280
  14	29	Minnesota	$11,830	$24,850
  39	45	Mississippi	$8,600	$21,080
  34	44	Missouri	$9,020	$21,180
  47	30	Montana	$7,200	$24,750
  37	36	Nebraska	$8,750	$23,180
  44	38	Nevada	$7,950	$22,770
  2	13	New Hampshire	$16,920	$30,410
  4	21	New Jersey	$14,540	$27,390
  45	43	New Mexico	$7,430	$21,600
  41	47	New York	$8,430	$20,650
  46	34	North Carolina	$7,280	$23,790
  30	49	North Dakota	$9,290	$13,380
  16	24	Ohio	$11,330	$25,580
  36	39	Oklahoma	$8,920	$22,420
  17	7	Oregon	$11,220	$31,840
  3	17	Pennsylvania	$14,940	$28,090
  11	15	Rhode Island	$13,060	$29,740
  11	5	South Carolina	$13,060	$33,020
  35	50	South Dakota	$8,980	$12,500
  23	32	Tennessee	$10,250	$24,350
  22	18	Texas	$10,470	$27,640
  48	42	Utah	$7,160	$21,770
  1	1	Vermont	$17,470	$41,640
  9	3	Virginia	$13,630	$34,730
  25	12	Washington	$10,080	$30,750
  40	37	West Virginia	$8,490	$23,040
  32	33	Wisconsin	$9,100	$24,270
  50	48	Wyoming	$5,580	$18,150

This data was released in November 2019 and does not reflect refunds and reimbursements offered by some colleges due to COVID-19.

How much will I pay per year?

You could pay anywhere from $18,000 to nearly $50,000 per year to attend college — it all depends on your financial aid package. Sometimes schools with a higher cost of attendance (COA) have generous financial aid packages that lead to a lower net price — the amount you pay after you receive financial aid. It all depends on how large your school’s endowment is for offering scholarships and grants to incoming students.

Your school determines your financial aid package by looking at two main factors: Whether you’re considered a dependent or independent student and your family income.

Here’s how much the average student paid for the 2015–2016 academic year based on different income levels:

How much will I pay for four years of college?

It’s difficult to predict how much you’ll pay for four years of college since it depends on your financial aid package and how much your school’s COA increases from year to year.

Here’s how much tuition increased over the past decade by school type:

• Private four-year school: 1.9%
• Public four-year school: 2.2%
• Public two-year school: 2%

Based on these percentage changes, you might expect to pay a net cost of $147,940.97 at a private four-year school and $41,898.01 at a public four-year institution in tuition and fees.

How to calculate the cost of attending college

How much college is going to cost you really depends on your personal situation. But there are a couple of tools you can use to figure out how much you’ll have to pay:

• Net price calculator. Most schools have a net price calculator on their financial aid website that gives prospective students an estimate of how much your family is expected to contribute toward your education and how much financial aid you might receive.
• FAFSA4caster. The FAFSA4caster gives you an estimate of how much federal aid you might qualify for at a particular school — including grants, loans and work-study — as well as the potential net price.

You might want to use both to get a more accurate estimate. A school’s net price calculator might have a more accurate reading of institutional scholarships and grants you might qualify for. But the FAFSA4caster can give you a better idea of how much federal aid you might receive.

How can I cover expenses?

If you don’t qualify for enough federal and institutional aid to cover the cost, you might want to consider these options to help pick up the slack:

• Private grants. If you attend a school that can’t meet 100% of your financial need, you might qualify for a grant from an institution outside of your school.
• Private scholarships. Students with good grades or special talents might qualify for merit-based scholarships from outside organizations.
• Interest-free loans. Some private organizations offer loans that don’t come with interest — though usually in smaller amounts than traditional student loans.
• Private student loans. After exhausting all of your federal and free financial aid options, consider applying for a loan from a private lender to cover the rest of your expenses.

You might want to start your search for extra funds with your school’s financial aid office. They can likely tell you the scholarships and grants for which you might be a good candidate.

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Bottom line

How much you pay for school comes down to your financial aid package, which depends on factors like your school’s COA, endowment and your family income. Using tools like a net price calculator and the FAFSA4caster can give you a more accurate estimate of how much you might pay before you apply.

You can learn more about how paying for school works by checking out our guide to student loans.

Frequently asked questions

• When calculating the cost of college, what costs should I include?

  If you’re going to calculate the cost of attendance yourself, you might want to include the following expenses:

  • Tuition
  • Fees
  • Housing
  • Meal plan
  • Textbooks

  • Supplies
  • Transportation on campus
  • Moving costs to and from school
  • Childcare, if applicable
  • Spending money for miscellaneous costs

• How much does it cost to attend school as an international student?

  It depends on your school — though it’ll likely be more than the numbers quoted in this article. That’s because international students aren’t eligible for federal student aid and many scholarships and grants that schools offer. You might want to check out our guide to financial aid for international students to learn more about your options.