New data shows a more than $60,000 gap in the costs to attend the United States’ most and least expensive colleges in each state.
In western Massachusetts, Bard College at Simon’s Rock costs a staggering $63,585 per year, while annual fees at Florida‘s Indian River State College are a bargain, by comparison, at just $588.
The data for the most affordable schools was compiled by TheBestSchools.org, and considered four-year colleges and universities across the 50 states. The rankings factored in not just tuition but also savings from scholarships and financial aid, along with costs like room and board, and books and supplies.
Numbers for the most expensive schools called on similar data from the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Center for Education Statistics, and US Department of Education, according to Digg.
After Bard College, New York’s Columbia University charted high at $63,530, as did Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania at $63,406, and Kenyon College in Ohio at $63,310.
In Rhode Island, Brown College cost students $62,304, in Connecticut Wesleyan College cost $62,049, and in Maine, Colby College cost $61,220.
A list of the most affordable colleges in the US in each state over four years. Florida had the cheapest
Florida’s Indian River State College was the most affordable school in the US at $588 per year
But schools weren’t only expensive in the east. Reed College in Oregon cost $62,730, Colorado College cost $62,070, and the University of Southern California cost students $61,503.
The University of Chicago cost $62,241, Macalaster College in Minnesota cost $60,518 per year, and Southern Methodist University in Texas cost $60,236.
But for every high price tag, in each state there were affordable educations to be had.
After Indian River State College in Florida, the next cheapest school by state was North Carolina University’s Elizabeth City University which cost $3,412 per year to attend.
CUNY Lehman College in the Bronx cost $3,467 per year, then the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley cost $4,319, followed California State University Los Angeles at $4,403.
The most expensive of the most affordable schools by state was Northern Vermont University for $15,399 per year, then Black Hills State University in South Dakota at $15,317 per year, followed by Iowa State University costing $14,643 per year.
A list of the most expensive colleges in the United States by state. Massachusetts had the most pricey with Bard College at Simon’s Rock costing an average of $63,585 per year
Bard College was found to be the most expensive in the United States, with an average annual price tag of $63,585
Data from TheBestSchools showed tuition at nearly all schools across the country rose 1.5 percent between the 2019 and 2020 school years.
It also found fees and tuition at public four-year schools tripled from 1989 to 2019.
Adjusted for inflation in 2022 dollars, a public four-year institution cost an average $4,870 per year.
At private four-year schools, tuition and fees in 2019 were more than double their 1989 levels.
Adjusted for inflation, a private four-year institution cost an average $31,440 per year.
But family incomes over the same period did not increase at the same rate as college costs did, TheBestSchools found.
From 1991 to 2021, the wealthiest fifth of American families saw their income increase 64 percent.
The lowest fifth of US families saw their wealth increase by 17 percent.
The rankings didn’t provide a complete list of the most and least expensive of all schools in the US, but instead ranked prices by state.