What college actually costs, state by state.

1,731 four-year colleges, every one with an admitted ACT range where the school publishes it and a real net price after grant and scholarship aid. Median net price runs from $13,684 in West Virginia to $33,074 in District of Columbia. Free, no signup, U.S. Department of Education data.

A median is not your price. Colleges report what families at each income level actually pay, and the gap is wide. Nationally the median is $15,270 a year for a family earning under $30,000 and $26,070 for one earning over $110,000. Choose your household income below and the map redraws to what your family would pay.

Median net price, all families
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Hover a state to see its median net price, or tap to browse its colleges.

$13,684
$33,074median net price · grey = too few colleges to average

Browse colleges by state

Alabama27Alaska3Arizona17Arkansas21California119Colorado20Connecticut26Delaware5District of Columbia8Florida62Georgia54Hawaii7Idaho9Illinois57Indiana45Iowa29Kansas26Kentucky29Louisiana26Maine17Maryland29Massachusetts65Michigan44Minnesota39Mississippi15Missouri51Montana9Nebraska19Nevada5New Hampshire13New Jersey46New Mexico10New York153North Carolina57North Dakota9Ohio73Oklahoma22Oregon21Pennsylvania112Rhode Island11South Carolina35South Dakota11Tennessee42Texas88Utah12Vermont8Virginia47Washington25West Virginia19Wisconsin33Wyoming1

Net price is total cost of attendance (tuition, fees, housing, books) minus grant and scholarship aid, for students receiving federal aid. State medians are shown only where at least five colleges report a net price. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Common questions

How much does college actually cost after financial aid?

Far less than the published sticker price at most schools. Across 1,731 four-year U.S. colleges, the median annual net price is $20,542 after grant and scholarship aid. Cost varies sharply by household income at the same school: nationally the median is $15,270 a year for a family earning under $30,000 and $26,070 for one earning over $110,000. Figures come from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.

Which state has the cheapest colleges?

Among states with at least five colleges reporting a net price, West Virginia has the lowest median at $13,684 a year after aid, and District of Columbia the highest at $33,074. These are medians across all aided families; what a specific family pays depends heavily on household income.

Does a college cost the same for every family?

No. Colleges report net price separately for five household income bands, and the gap between them is often large. The average net price a school publishes is a blend across all aided families and may be far from what any specific family pays. At some schools grant aid exceeds the full cost of attendance for the lowest income band, meaning the school effectively pays the student.