How Much Does It Cost to Send My Kid to College in Each Part of the Country?

When it comes to savings goals for your kids, college may take the top spot. Higher education is pricey, with average costs topping $38,000 per year (accessed April 2025). While you can find colleges with substantially lower (or higher) tuition wherever you are, your region can make a difference in how much you should expect to pay for college—and therefore how much to save for your children.

Average College Tuition by Region

Many factors determine what makes a particular college the right choice for your student. While cost is certainly important, the “sticker price” of tuition might not be an accurate reflection of what you’ll pay. Differences in financial aid and scholarships can make a school with higher face-value tuition more affordable for your student.

That said, a general rule of thumb is that public colleges tend to have lower tuition than private institutions, and in-state students typically receive lower tuition rates than out-of-state students. Here’s how average tuition and fees break down by region for in-state tuition at a four-year public college or university.

Note: All figures below accessed April 2025.

Northeast

These states hold seven out of 10 of the most expensive average yearly in-state tuition costs in the country, making this the costliest region.

• Connecticut: $15,763

• Maine: $10,813

• Massachusetts: $14,345

• New Hampshire: $17,019

• New Jersey: $15,265

• New York: $8,575

• Pennsylvania: $16,217

• Rhode Island: $14,744

• Vermont: $17,600

Midwest

Midwestern states have the steadiest average yearly in-state tuition, with roughly $6,000 between the highest and lowest average in the region. More than half of the states’ average tuition costs fall within $1,000 of each other.

• Illinois: $14,921

• Indiana: $9,886

• Michigan: $14,718

• Ohio: $10,922

• Wisconsin: $8,974

• Iowa: $10,121

• Kansas: $9,274

• Minnesota: $12,873

• Missouri: $9,926

• Nebraska: $8,862

• North Dakota: $9,728

• South Dakota: $9,079

South

Despite boasting the state with the lowest average yearly in-state tuition in the country (Florida), pricier states like Virginia and South Carolina keep the South in the mid-range for average tuition costs.

• Alabama: $11,081

• Arkansas: $8,879

• Delaware: $11,922

• Florida: $4,541

• Georgia: $7,075

• Kentucky: $11,299

• Louisiana: $9,843

• Maryland: $10,041

• Mississippi: $9,120

• North Carolina: $7,327

• Oklahoma: $8,519

• South Carolina: $12,604

• Tennessee: $10,437

• Texas: $8,195

• Virginia: $14,825

• Washington, D.C.: $6,152

• West Virginia: $8,715

West

Six states, almost half the region, fall in the 10 least expensive for in-state tuition in the country, and the region overall has the lowest average yearly in-state tuition cost. Even so, tuition can vary widely by state. Arizona, Oregon and Hawaii’s average tuition is more than twice as much as the least costly state in the West, Wyoming.

• Alaska: $8,291

• Arizona: $11,768

• California: $8,637

• Colorado: $9,798

• Hawaii: $10,484

• Idaho: $7,640

• Montana: $7,299

• Nevada: $6,723

• New Mexico: $7,526

• Oregon: $12,424

• Utah: $7,215

• Washington: $8,006

• Wyoming: $5,100

Highest and Lowest College Costs in the U.S.

If we add private schools into the mix, the most expensive colleges in the country topped $70,000 in tuition and fees for the 2024-2025 academic year. Nine out of the top 10 most expensive private colleges are in the Northeast, too—another point affirming this region’s place as the most expensive area to send a child to college. As a result, you should likely plan a higher savings target if your child hopes to go to college in the Northeast.

The private colleges with the least expensive tuition also cluster in a specific region. The South holds eight out of 10 spots for least expensive colleges in the nation. Of course, you can also find expensive colleges in the South. Duke University in North Carolina ($70,265 tuition, almost $95,000 when you add room and board) and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. ($33,912 per semester) are two examples of Southern colleges that can rival the Northeast for cost.

Note: Figures in this section accessed October 2024.

Get Strategic About Saving

You may not know yet where your kids will want to go to college one day (or even if they’ll enroll at all). However, the typical pattern is that the majority of students stay in their home state. There are some exceptions—Vermont,New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. had the lowest rates of in-state students—but in more than half the country, it’s typical for 75% or more of the student body to be in-state residents.

What this means for you as a parent is you might want to start by checking your home state’s average tuition costs. You can also develop a more accurate college savings estimate by researching colleges in your state that align with your child’s interests (e.g., strong tech programs, college sports).

That said, if your child dreams of going out of state, that’s important information to consider, as well. If your child’s already bought a sweatshirt from their favorite university or longs to attend college in a particular state, setting your savings target accordingly may be a good option.

Another factor to keep in mind is that none of these tuition averages factor in room, board or living expenses. There’s a wide variation depending on your state and your child’s choice of what living arrangements. You’ll want to talk with your child about expectations regarding living at home or on campus, and plan for living expenses based on what’s typical for your area.

Ideally, saving for college starts long before your child is ready to declare a major or decide on a specific school. Your child may not even know the alphabet when you start contributing money toward higher education. Even so, when you open a 529 or UGMA and start saving for education, you can still build a strategy based tuition trends in your region of the country and feel more prepared to afford college costs when your child is ready to enroll.

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