Cost of Studying in the US by State for International Students
International students pay out-of-state tuition at US public universities, and living costs vary as much as tuition. We ranked every state by the total cost of a year: average out-of-state tuition, 12 months of living costs scaled to local prices and rents, and health insurance.
Updated October 2026 · 51 states · Download CSV
Key findings
- California is the most expensive state for a public-university year: about $71,417.
- South Dakota is the cheapest: about $33,429, $37,988 less a year ($151,954 over a four-year degree).
- The national average out-of-state tuition is $31,880; a private nonprofit university averages $45,000 in tuition alone.
Public university, total per year, by state
- 1California$71,417
- 2Vermont$69,577
- 3Hawaii$67,944
- 4Michigan$67,488
- 5Oregon$65,702
- 6Colorado$65,259
- 7Delaware$64,623
- 8Connecticut$64,169
- 9Rhode Island$64,084
- 10Massachusetts$64,013
- 11Washington$63,949
- 12Virginia$63,724
- 13New Hampshire$62,059
- 14Arizona$61,835
- 15New Jersey$61,770
- 16Washington, DC$61,614
- 17South Carolina$59,343
- 18Maine$56,989
- 19Montana$56,185
- 20Pennsylvania$55,533
- 21Alaska$54,441
- 22Nevada$54,086
- 23Indiana$53,476
- 24Wisconsin$53,297
- 25Maryland$53,246
- 26Ohio$52,992
- 27Alabama$52,344
- 28Minnesota$52,249
- 29Texas$52,246
- 30Illinois$51,696
- 31Idaho$51,254
- 32Iowa$51,064
- 33Georgia$50,545
- 34Utah$50,408
- 35Florida$49,420
- 36New Mexico$49,136
- 37Missouri$48,699
- 38North Carolina$48,329
- 39New York$48,184
- 40Tennessee$48,141
- 41Arkansas$47,133
- 42Kentucky$47,025
- 43Wyoming$46,880
- 44West Virginia$46,332
- 45Mississippi$46,133
- 46Kansas$45,304
- 47Oklahoma$44,960
- 48Nebraska$44,464
- 49Louisiana$44,138
- 50North Dakota$35,210
- 51South Dakota$33,429
Full data
| Rank | State | Out-of-state tuition | Living per month | Total per year | Community college year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $42,100 | $2,235 | $71,417 | $39,317 |
| 2 | Vermont | $44,180 | $1,908 | $69,577 | $35,397 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $32,780 | $2,722 | $67,944 | $45,164 |
| 4 | Michigan | $45,690 | $1,608 | $67,488 | $31,798 |
| 5 | Oregon | $40,780 | $1,868 | $65,702 | $34,922 |
| 6 | Colorado | $38,230 | $2,044 | $65,259 | $37,029 |
| 7 | Delaware | $39,340 | $1,899 | $64,623 | $35,283 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $36,530 | $2,095 | $64,169 | $37,639 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $36,680 | $2,075 | $64,084 | $37,404 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $35,530 | $2,165 | $64,013 | $38,483 |
| 11 | Washington | $38,500 | $1,912 | $63,949 | $35,449 |
| 12 | Virginia | $40,150 | $1,756 | $63,724 | $33,574 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $36,090 | $1,956 | $62,059 | $35,969 |
| 14 | Arizona | $37,570 | $1,814 | $61,835 | $34,265 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $34,300 | $2,081 | $61,770 | $37,470 |
| 16 | Washington, DC | $31,880 | $2,270 | $61,614 | $39,734 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $36,750 | $1,674 | $59,343 | $32,593 |
| 18 | Maine | $32,860 | $1,802 | $56,989 | $34,129 |
| 19 | Montana | $32,600 | $1,757 | $56,185 | $33,585 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $33,860 | $1,598 | $55,533 | $31,673 |
| 21 | Alaska | $27,680 | $2,022 | $54,441 | $36,761 |
| 22 | Nevada | $28,420 | $1,931 | $54,086 | $35,666 |
| 23 | Indiana | $33,150 | $1,486 | $53,476 | $30,326 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $32,050 | $1,562 | $53,297 | $31,247 |
| 25 | Maryland | $27,910 | $1,903 | $53,246 | $35,336 |
| 26 | Ohio | $32,520 | $1,498 | $52,992 | $30,472 |
| 27 | Alabama | $31,450 | $1,533 | $52,344 | $30,894 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $30,670 | $1,590 | $52,249 | $31,579 |
| 29 | Texas | $30,110 | $1,636 | $52,246 | $32,136 |
| 30 | Illinois | $30,770 | $1,536 | $51,696 | $30,926 |
| 31 | Idaho | $28,110 | $1,720 | $51,254 | $33,144 |
| 32 | Iowa | $31,510 | $1,421 | $51,064 | $29,554 |
| 33 | Georgia | $28,070 | $1,665 | $50,545 | $32,475 |
| 34 | Utah | $26,340 | $1,797 | $50,408 | $34,068 |
| 35 | Florida | $23,400 | $1,960 | $49,420 | $36,020 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $26,400 | $1,686 | $49,136 | $32,736 |
| 37 | Missouri | $28,850 | $1,446 | $48,699 | $29,849 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $25,870 | $1,663 | $48,329 | $32,459 |
| 39 | New York | $23,620 | $1,839 | $48,184 | $34,564 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $26,700 | $1,578 | $48,141 | $31,441 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $27,630 | $1,417 | $47,133 | $29,503 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $26,970 | $1,463 | $47,025 | $30,055 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $24,050 | $1,694 | $46,880 | $32,830 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $26,550 | $1,440 | $46,332 | $29,782 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $24,890 | $1,562 | $46,133 | $31,243 |
| 46 | Kansas | $26,070 | $1,394 | $45,304 | $29,234 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $25,310 | $1,429 | $44,960 | $29,650 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $23,910 | $1,504 | $44,464 | $30,554 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $23,950 | $1,474 | $44,138 | $30,188 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $15,450 | $1,438 | $35,210 | $29,760 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $13,050 | $1,490 | $33,429 | $30,379 |
Methodology
Tuition: College Board Trends in College Pricing 2025 (average published out-of-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions, by state). Washington, DC uses national averages.
Living costs: a national student budget scaled by each state's Regional Price Parity (BEA, 2024) with housing based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index for the state's metro areas, assuming two students share a home. Health insurance is estimated at $2,500 a year.
Use this data
Journalists, bloggers and researchers are welcome to use these figures and the chart. Please credit ToolKnack with a link to this page. The data updates when tax rates change.
Download the data (CSV)ToolKnack (October 2026). Cost of Studying in the US by State for International Students. https://toolknack.com/data/cost-of-studying-in-the-us-by-state
<a href="https://toolknack.com/data/cost-of-studying-in-the-us-by-state">Cost of Studying in the US by State for International Students</a> (ToolKnack)
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest US state for international students?
South Dakota, where a year at a public university costs about $33,429 including living costs.
What is the most expensive US state to study in?
California, at about $71,417 a year for a public university.